Bane

Sinners of Saint #4

by L.J. Shen

From bestselling author L.J. Shen, comes a new, standalone, contemporary romance.

Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud.
Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living.
Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled.
Thing is, I’m on a boycott. Literally—I cut boys from my life. Permanently.
Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies.

Jesse Carter
Hot as hell, cold as ice.
I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap.
She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time.
She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad.
More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack.
Little does she know, I have the teeth for it.

*This book contains material that might be offensive for some or elicit a strong emotional response.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers, Dark

356 pages, ebook

First published April 16, 2018

About the author

L.J. Shen is a New York Times, USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.

She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).


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Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com

Reviews

[TJ *Book Twins Reviews* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”

This isn’t your typical romance and certainly isn’t a fairy tale. In this story, Cinderella saves the Savage!

With Bane, L.J. Shen holds no punches. I’m really afraid she’ll eventually ruin me for other authors!! Her writing is lyrical. It’s poetic. It’s simply beautiful! This book is sexy, flirts with the dark side, and is one of her grittier works. I COULD NOT get enough of these characters.

“Don’t fuck with me. I fuck harder. Comes with the territory of doing it for a living.”

Bane is sexy, rough, and raw. A bad boy in the true sense of the word. Let’s face it, his moral compass is not fully operational. And I love that about him!! Gah, he’s sexy AF.
Jesse’s been to hell and back. I love the different feel of this book. It’s not so much about a sexy guy swooping in and saving a girl. It’s more about each character finding themselves as their relationship progresses. They are both truly effected and made better by the other. Character development and an intricate plot are the shining stars of Bane.

Both main characters are equally intriguing. Neither fits a general mold the reader expects. It feels different from the previous books in the series, but is no less engaging. In fact, it’s my new FAVORITE. The story packs a HUGE EMOTIONAL punch. It’s one the most impactful and had me equally sobbing, cursing, and falling in love.

“Maybe that was the difference between Bane and all the others.
I didn’t want him.
I needed him to remind me how to breathe.”

Here’s what you really need to know. L.J. Shen pushes boundaries each book is better than the last. It’s one of the main reasons I love her books SO MUCH! You have to expect the unexpected. The drama is bigger and the characters are larger than life! It’s a fucking emotional, twisted, topsy turvy ride that I want to experience again and again.

Highly Recommended!




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[Corina]

Bane definitely gave me a serious book hangover when I first read it. He’s the ultimate bad boy — the kind of hero who will completely rock your world!

I’ve always been drawn to the “jerk” types—alpha males, unapologetic, arrogant, ruthlessly charming guys. In real life, I’d avoid them like the plague, but in fiction? They’re irresistible. I love heroes who make their own rules and never apologize for their flaws. There’s something raw and real about those characters—the ones who are brutally honest, even when it’s not pretty. Bane? He embodies everything I love about a fictional hero.

Brash, confident, and effortlessly exuding sex appeal, he owns every room he enters. Yet beneath that tough exterior lies a man who is surprisingly tender—especially toward his mother and, eventually, the woman he can’t resist: Jesse.

Their story begins with a fateful encounter that sparks a long-lasting fascination. When Bane and Jesse reconnect, the chemistry explodes. His relentless, no-holds-barred attitude pushes her out of her darkness, forcing her to fight for her own happiness in ways she never expected. Every time Bane showed a glimpse of tenderness or vulnerability, I melted. He’s the perfect mix of charming jerk and unexpected softness, sarcastic, witty, and wise beyond his years — a hero it’s impossible not to fall for.

Jesse, meanwhile, is the perfect balance to Bane. Broken and fragile from her past, she’s barely existing before he enters her life. But Bane becomes the catalyst for her growth and self-discovery. Their relationship isn’t about changing one another; it’s about acceptance. Jesse sees Bane completely — flaws, past mistakes, and all — and loves him for who he is. I love when a heroine can embrace a man’s darkness without trying to fix it. Jesse’s journey of healing, resilience, and reclaiming herself through Bane’s influence is beautiful to witness.

Looking back, this book was an amazing ride, and I had so much fun with it. But honestly, those feelings are tied to 2018, when LJ Shen first blew me away with her writing and unforgettable characters. In 2025, though, I don’t feel the same intensity. While Bane’s story is still solid, I find that Shen’s writing doesn’t hit me the same way anymore. Maybe it’s the passage of time, or maybe my tastes have shifted. Either way, it was a fantastic read, but I’ve definitely moved on to other things.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

We weren’t a boy and a girl. We were two lonely, fucked-up souls. It made wanting Bane in my life acceptable. I wanted him to fix me.

The queen of angst has done it once again. She's given me a hero that I have fallen head over ovaries for, and I can't stop thinking about. Bane is so different from the heroes we're used to from LJ Shen, but he's no less potent. He's not the typical alpha-hole that she writes oh-so-well. But he's also not quite a nice guy either. Bane is that somewhere in the middle, that gray zone of sex appeal and criminal. This book was EVERYTHING.

You’re poisoned. Sheltered. Yet, you’re no Snow White. Wanna know why?”
“Why?”
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”

Jesse may have been one of my favorite LJ Shen heroines to date. This girl is so broken, yet her spirit shines through even through her shattered pieces. And I absolutely loved that Bane is one of the few people in her life that sees it. He sees beyond the frumpy clothes she tries to hide behind. He sees the fiery woman behind the disguise; a woman with scars but one that will fight with the ferocity of a tiger if ever cornered. Man but I loved their immediate chemistry and dynamic. This is a slow burn, and boy does Shen make you burn. She makes you crave every stolen look, every secret touch, every forbidden erotic moment. GAH. It was so freaking delicious.

He was cracking my heart with every touch, shattering it with every smile, and it didn’t make any sense, because how could he break something that was already broken?

Bane is not a nice guy, but he's not quite a bad guy either. This is a man with many layers that are full of depth beyond what his bad boy appearance gives off. I was turning the pages well into the night, ravenous for another layer to be revealed. The tumultuous connection that he has to Jesse had me sitting at the edge of my seat just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You experience him unwillingly and unexpectedly fall for a girl that was supposed to be a tool in his arsenal. She was only supposed to be a pawn but soon began to turn into so much more.

I survived many things, but Roman Protsenko was probably not going to be one of them.

Bane was a delicious slow burn full of depth and emotion. It was a story of survival and finding love in the darkest most unexpected corner. It was angsty, sexy, and a page turner from beginning to finish.

beta read

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[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

When an L.J. Shen novel hits my kindle I swear it's a holiday because EVERYTHING stops!! This novel was pure MAGIC! Bane and Jesse were perfect together. Just amazing. I laughed, I cried and I honestly never wanted it to end. I loved them so much!

I swear I have been dying for Roman "Bane" Protsenko's story since Scandalous and Jesus Christ this author delivered and then some. When Bane wants something, he will do anything to get it and Jesse Carter has no idea what she's in for. When he makes a deal with her oil tycoon stepfather, she becomes a pawn and a plaything in his path to getting more of his heart's true desire - Power. That is until Jesse digs her claws deep and twists up his whole game like he never saw coming.

GAHHH!!! BANE is my most favorite L.J. hero to date (I'm sorry Trent.) He is wholeheartedly flawed, edgy and conflicted and a lonely damaged soul at heart. He is a con artist, a thief, self-serving and conniving and an anti-hero to a T. But what he found deep down buried inside a withdrawn, damaged girl became his eventual redemption. Jesse Carter probably has a little piece of my soul. Strong yet damaged, broken yet slowly healing but with a ton of scars. But when Bane comes into her life he comes the balm to those scars. They will always remain but he could help lessen them over time and be the cushion for when they hurt.

What I loved about both Bane and Jesse was the fact that she saw past his reputation and track record and he saw past her tragedy. They were very similar in that they were both running away and hiding parts of themselves they weren't ready to face. But they were each other's respective catalyst to move out of the shadows. He was in fact the first person to see her, to want to fix her and heal her. He was her protector and the man that stood in front of her while she faced the world. He became the first deep breath she took after not living for a long time and her compass bringing her back to the land of the living.

Bane was everything and honestly the best novel L.J. has written to date. It was hot, angsty, forbidden, filled with spitfire banter, witty one-liners, kickass metaphors and laugh out loud sarcastic AF humor. Shen pretty much solidified her role as HBIC because this book is FIRE! This novel was equally heartbreaking, uplifting, monumental and dare I say LJ's best work to date without a doubt. Bravo! 6 Amazing stars!! ~Ratula

[• Island Queen Reads • Ofa • · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes in your life there are books that you come across that take you by surprise. It puts you in a state of shock, not just because you can't imagine reading any other book for the rest of you life, but because you've finally found the one. The one book you will remember forever, the one that will haunt you forever. It's this one. And I'm so obsessively in love with it, I will never get over it. I devoured this in one sitting. And then I had to re-read again just to make sure I didn't dream the whole thing up.

I've been a loyal follower (stalker) of this author since her very first book and was there with her all through the Sinners of Saint. I've watched grow with each new Sinner, watched her dominate the community with her words and her covers. And add to that, she's the humblest person I know, always trying give her readers her best, not knowing even her shopping list would deliver.

Now, this book. Bane. I can't tell you how long I've waited for this baby to land on my kindle. And as soon as I opened up the prologue, my jaw dropped. I started sweating, my eyes were already welling up and I couldn't believe what I was reading. This author starts the book off with a definitive BANG! If you had any doubts on if you could get into this book, get that outta your head now. Because she will literally reach through the screen and hypnotise you with her words. It'll leave you panting for more, devouring each word with every eager breath and that was only the prologue! It's THAT GOOD! This book is ANGST DEFINED! The author warned us it would be, but I wasn't expecting it at that level. It destroyed me, it was on a whole other level & my heart couldn't handle it.

The hero in this situation, Bane, he's an egotistical asshole who has every right to be cocky. He's a "rebel without a cause", criminal mastermind, sex on wheels and goddamn savage. I mean, when you live in Todos Santos, that's kinda what you expect. If you've kept up with the series, our hero is younger then our Hothole's and is seen as Baron "Vicious" Spencer's heir to the asshole throne. He's your typical bad boy with a twist. He actually has no feelings for anything and actually really doesn't care. Until fate makes sure his life crosses path with Jesse Carter. I'm so in love with Bane. Every word, every inhale of smoke, every smirk & scowl, it's like new life being blown into me. He's the perfect asshole. He needs a slap to the head a few times but all the heroes this author writes does. Doesn't mean that every time he's being a dick, I don't wanna mount him like a horse and ride him in the sunset. And it gets even worse when he's being tolerable and nice. Ugh. I sound crazy but he confuses me so much, even though I love him.

Jesse Carter. I've never fallen so in love with a heroine before. I am in absolute awe at her strength, her bravery, her perseverance and her sass. To have been through what that girl went through and still come out swinging, she has earned my respect, admiration and love. My heart ached for her, I cried for her, I loved for her, I fought for her & I died for her. Not only is she a stunner on the outside with her pale white skin and her luscious dark hair, she's just as gorgeous on the inside. It may be a little cracked and broken inside but it's beautiful nonetheless. She is a princess who doesn't need saving, she's no damsel in distress. And while Bane brought her back to life, it doesn't mean she's weak. She's been dealt a shit hand in life but she didn't let it define her and that's what I love. She got her justice, she got her revenge and in the end, she even got the guy.

Hands down, this is the best work ever done by this author and she'll probably go down in history for it. This book will always have a special place in my heart and I'm thankful to the author for giving us her words, for writing Bane and Jesse's story and showing us a love so rich, so strong & sassy, it'll take on anyone who dares to defy it. Definitely a MUST READ!

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY REVIEW can also be found on my blog:
KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

I was the guy everyone knew, and she was a ghost desperate to be forgotten.

‘BANE:’ is book #4 within the Sinners of Saint stand alone novel, New Adult, a spin-off novel by L.J. Shen. Spoken in dual POV’S The Heroine (Jesse) the Hero (Bane).



The ‘Prologue’ is a bit of a wowza, but only hints at what happened, but sets up a terrific storyline of whats to come.

At twenty-five ‘Bane’ aka Roman Protsenko, has no qualms when it comes to admitting what he is or where he’s come from, and what’s he’s done to get to where he is today. A Russian immigrant living in one of the most affluent towns in the States a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The naked surfer, habitual pothead, con, lier, a fraud are the many faces Bane wears. I was the outsider. The mortal idiot who mixed with the blue-blooded royals of Todos Santos.



‘Jesse Carter’ aka Snow White. Reading nineteen year old Jesse's story in the 'Prologue' will gut you, bring you to your knees, a cloak of sadness enveloped me as I read her words, the darkness, the loneliness that shrouded her, your heart will break into tiny smithereens. She never leaves her bedroom, she's alone in the real sense of the word, no friends, no loving doting mother, a stepfather with secrets, her only true friend is an elderly lady that has alzheimer's decease.

But we need to go back, back before Jesse even became a business deal struck between Bane and her stepfather Darren, back when Bane didn’t even know who she was, one glimpse and he wanted her even then. The first time Bane sees Jesse, it was her tattoo on her back that caught his eye. My Whole Life Has Been Pledged to This Meeting with You. - The Pushkin Tattoo She was on the beach with her boyfriend Emery. It was years ago on the beach, but I remember how carnal the need to conquer her had been. Before her life was turned upside down and her fate rewrote itself with her blood.



I wanted her before.
Before she became business.
Before the truth caged her in.
Before the secrets gushed out.

This is like no other book this author has delivered us before, she's gone out all guns blazing to bring us a darker, grittier, heartbreaking book that will slay us to the core. Bane will over ride your senses, he'll obliterate your heart, and our heroine Jesse will steal your breath away. You will bleed alongside her as life throws her curve ball after curveball like a Phoenix rising she'll bring you to your knees with her strength. The princess sword was bloody. But she refused to tuck it back in. She wanted to leave a trail of their misery behind her, so they could always find her.

"Everyone in town heard a version or two of my story.
I was the town’s slut. Jezebel.
The whore of Babylon.
I’d asked for it, so they’d given it to me.
I don’t date.
I don’t do boys.
I’m The Untouchable."

What a crazy ride this one was, twists and turns of deceit, heartbreak, a slow burn, that crept up on my out of nowhere. I have never swooned so much over a fictional character than I did over Bane, the man just oozed sexual appeal through the written word. And I don't think we could've gotten a better match for him other than Jesse, she was perfect for him. This book plucked so many emotions out of me, sad, love, laughter, swooning, the feels were endless and just kept coming chapter by chapter.



We're the outliers.
The rejects
We're free.

Bane could entice the knickers off a nun he's that hot.!!

     

[Dilek VT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hesitant for a long while to read this book but then I decided that I needed closure for this series so I read BANE.

My ratings of the books in this series is as follows :

Vicious: 5 because I couldn't give 10 or more stars!
Defy: 3 stars
Ruckus: 2,5 stars
Scandalous: 2 stars
Bane: 2,5 stars

As you can see, only VICIOUS did it for me, none of the others were good enough!



Now, let's talk about BANE.

That is one hell of an interesting book that includes a bit of everything…. Every f*cking twisted thing!

The relationships in the book are one hell of a tangle. You have to write down names and keep notes to remember who f*cks who or you can just assume everyone f*cks everyone else…

1. The hero and the heroine end up being related to one another in a weird way. Her father f*cked his mother for a while and he became a kind of step-dad for him. As they were not married, he was not an official dad, but in theory he played the role of the step-dad for a while. So, her father was a step-dad for him for a while.

2. The hero’s mother f*cked the guy who her son’s ex-girlfriend was in love with. (Trent in Book 3, Scandalous).

3. In this book, the hero's mum f*cks her son’s best friend and in the end, she marries him (a guy who is a bit younger than her son - not judging, just saying).

4. One of the rapists of the heroine sometimes came to their house to f*ck her mother (definitely judging and cursing).

Do you see what I mean? So very complicated web of relations!



***********************************************

Not only the relationships but also the characters are very interesting!

***********************************************

First of all, our hero BANE is very colorful. He is a real piece of work!

1. He is a man-whore hero (literally – as he whores himself to women for money. He also had sex with men when he was hard on cash). There were times when he let guys suck his d*ck just to see if he likes it.

2. He is a tattooed bad boy hero, who is a liar, a con, a stoner and a drug dealer.

3. He is a shameless hero who likes public sex and surfing naked.

***********************************************

Our heroine JESSE is a victim of rape & assault

1. She was raped when she was a child and a virgin.

2. She was assaulted, beaten and gang-raped.

3. Her rapist boyfriend made a sex tape.

4. She was bullied, degraded and became a cast out at school after “The incident���. Because she wasn’t allowed to sue the rapists, she was known as the town slut who was involved in an orgy.

5. After school, she starts to live like a recluse, she doesn’t allow anyone to touch her, she doesn’t go out of the house much. She has no friends, no job etc.

***********************************************

One day, Jesse’s step-father Darren makes an arrangement with BANE so that he helps her get out of her shell and it spirals out from then on…

*******************************

Things I hated about the book:

1. The hero: He was literally an exaggeration of a bad boy. I didn't hate Bane, I just hated how Ms Shen exaggerated the "bad-boy" concept in this book!

As we loved Vicious despite his evil side, the writer must have thought, “The worse the better”… Nope, this was too much!

2. The way sex starts and develops between the hero & the heroine

As a victim of rape, she wanted to stay untouched for a long while. Now she wants Bane and begs for it. And the first time she wants to have it with him, she wants it too hard. She doesn’t want gentle, she doesn’t want mercy and she wants him to maul her. That was weird!



All sex scenes between the hero & the heroine later on were awful in my opinion; they were all devoid of emotions but heavy on pounding!

Oh oh, one more thing: When they start having sex, they do it bare and she doesn’t even ask for a health report, never thinking about the STDs he might have.

3. I also hated the way it was emphasized in the book that Bane & Jesse were a good match because both were tainted.

Unlike Ms Shen, I do not think that a girl who has been raped more than once and more than one person deserves a man-whore or someone worse. She still deserves a decent person because what she went through doesn’t taint her, it doesn’t make her any less good. She is not worthless, she is still precious – as precious as her heart goes.

Here, she is matched with a guy who is the worst of the worst: A con, a liar, a stoner, a drug dealer and a man-whore who has sex with women (and men if necessary) for money. I didn’t like this match because of its implication that he was the kind of guy who would accept her.

Well, there are a few things that are good about Bane, of course; he is not a bad person but he has chosen bad ways to survive whereas Jesse went through horrible things that were not by her choice. However, this difference is not emphasized; instead, their being a good match is emphasized!

But Bane didn’t care.
He screwed for a living, for God’s sake.
No wonder he was the only one here to accept me.

I would have preferred a hero who was a decent person and who thought Jesse was a precious woman he wanted to be with no matter what she went through because they were all out of her will.

***********************************************

Well, for your information and for what it is worth, BANE doesn't sleep with anyone else after he falls for Jesse and he quits his job.

***********************************************


The things I liked in the book:

1. I am happy that the evil was punished in one way or the other in the end.
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

I will fill in the blanks when I can think of any other things I liked about it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Everything was way too predictable from the very beginning, we just wait for Jesse to remember what we already guess.

The book gets better only in the last quarter. Until then, it is slow and dragging. Maybe because I couldn’t relate to the characters, I felt bored most of the time.

In the last quarter, after she remembers, things get interesting and there is some action.

I was only invested in the story to see if the rapists would get what they deserved or not. Otherwise, I would have dropped the book in the middle.

Well, I would have preferred something harsher like castration or something else for the rapists but well, what we got is better than nothing at least…

There is an epilogue about a year later with a HEA. I also read the extended epilogue that I got by e-mail.

Do I recommend the book?



Although I have given it 3 stars out of 2,5, I would not recommend this book to anyone. I just read it for the silly hope of maybe finding something to like in it because this was something from the writer of Vicious – a book that I adored. However, after trying 6 books of this writer, I now understand that (better late than never), it was a one time deal because no other books of this writer did it for me.

Now I can easily say that I have given this writer more than enough chances for the sake of Vicious and that was the last chance.

***********************************************

P.S. In this book, Bane is compared to Vicious and said to be Vicious's heir or something like that. Ha ha, I say "Bullsh*t!" and LMAO!

However, there is something interesting I should say:

I liked Bane more than Dean and Trent. Actually, I hated Dean & Trent but I obviously didn't hate Bane. I just didn't like him enough.

Well, just putting that information here if it helps...

***********************************************

SOME QUOTATIONS FROM THE BOOK:

Some impressive moments:

I was quiet.
I was nice.
I was different.
I was evil.
No one knew.
No one suspected.
Still waters run deep.
My only regret is that you drowned in my sins.

***

“You need to leave me with something! ” she called out.
“I am,” I said, yanking the door open. “I’m leaving you with the consequences of your actions.”

***

“Jesse, I am going to ask you for something very important now. Don’t forgive me.”

***

Ever been punched in the face? I had. Plenty of times. The first few seconds, you’re disoriented. Not really sure what time of the day it is. Where you are. That’s what Jesse smelled like. Like a punch in the fucking face.

***

“Dad was right about one thing, Roman. The princess saves herself in this fairytale.”

***

“What’s the antonym of hate?” I blurted, drunk on pleasure.
He collapsed to his couch, cupping the joint with his thumb and forefinger and sucking hard. “Jesse.”

Something funny:

“Hmm. Pity party. Thanks for the invite, Jesse, but I’m busy tonight.”
“You’re an asshole.” I sighed.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Sean Connery wore a toupee in all his James Bond movies,” I said.
Bane laughed. “The fuck?”
“You told me to tell you something you don’t know. I bet you didn’t know that.”

***

Something puke-worthy:

(We are told that Bane is a man-whore more than enough times and I thought I was used to the idea till the day he decided to quit but then, I learnt how many women and I felt nauseous!!!)

I walked over to my kitchen nook, took my phone out of my back pocket, and started going over every single client on my contact list. I decided to go for something laconic, firm, and polite. Thing was, I wasn’t much of a diplomat, so after much thinking, I came up with this:

Hi. It’s Bane. I’m writing to let you know that I’m hereby terminating our professional relationship. I’m officially retired and will not be making a comeback anytime soon. If you owe me money, consider it paid. If I owe you dick—I suggest you go look for it somewhere else. So long and thanks for all the fish.
—Bane.

I sent it to all forty-six women I had worked with at once.

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everytime L. J. Shen announces a new novel, I get ridiculously excited. Why? Besides the fact that I know I'm going to love it, I know what awaits me inside each of her books. There's always an incredible story with a beautiful romance, hot sex, and characters that will stay with me forever.

"Don't get me wrong-she was beautiful, but she looked like a dazzling tragedy, specially designed to fuck you up."

Bane was my most anticipated read of 2018. Every since Baron Spencer described him as a "made in China" version of himself, I knew I needed this character in my life. While he didn't dethrone Vicious in my eyes (to be fair, I don't think anyone could), I fell in love with him just like I knew I was going to.

"They'd given me a nickname, and I'd become it, lived it, breathed it."

Perfectly imperfect characters are my favorite, and Roman "Bane" Protsenko fits right into that category. He may have a bad boy reputation, but deep down he is a good person. The heroine, Jesse, recognizes this right away, and it endeared her to me from the beginning. Plenty of people would have been judgemental of Bane, but she just saw him for who he was to her.



Jesse Carter suffered not one but three traumatic events in her young life. To top it off, she was gifted with a horrible mother that cares only about herself to the point where she shamed Jesse for being raped and did her best to sweep it under the rug to avoid gossip. Bane comes into Jesse's life in a fucked up way, but it winds up being the best thing that ever happened to her.

Her slumped shoulders looked like broken wings; her overcast eyes were where your soul went to fucking die."

Bane sparked something in Jesse that that grew until it burned bright enough to drown out the darkness that surrounded her, but what I loved about this story is that Jesse took  charge and was largely responsible for her happy ending. Bane supported Jesse, loved her, and helped her, but he didn't save her. She did that herself.

"The princess saves herself in this fairytale."

The same thing goes for Bane. Jesse made him see that he was worth more than a quick fuck for some cash. He wasn't like his father, and he didn't need to pay for his sins. Ultimately though, Bane himself made the decision to change his life and become someone greater than he thought he deserved to be.

"My heart felt like two pieces locking back together into something whole."

Did my most anticipated read of 2018 live up to my expectations? Hell yes! Leigh always does! She's my favorite contemporary romance author for a reason. Her writing is exquisite, and I fall harder for her everytime I read more of it. She manages to captivate me with even the simplest descriptions of ordinary things. The story's she creates give me all the feels, surpass my expectations, and always leave me wanting to read more from her.



If you haven't read an L. J. Shen novel before, do it! She's amazing! If you've read and enjoyed the other books in this series, then don't hesitate to pick up this one. When you're done, we can fangirl together! 🙌 Finally, if you've already read Bane and the rest of the guys, put the All Saints High spin-off series on your tbr! The kids are supposed to be even wilder than their parents. I can't wait to find out!

ARC generously provided by the author for an honest review.

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

Stand-alone.
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK |

Books in Sinner of Saint series are stand-alones:
Book 0.5: Defy
Book 1: Vicious
Book 2: Ruckus
Book 3: Scandalous
Book 4: Bane

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been this nervous writing a review, and that's cause my mind's buzzing with so many thoughts, so many memorable lines, so many impactful words, flying around in my brain. I'm supercharged and super emotional at the moment. This book is like an adrenaline rush, a 5 hour energy boost. I'm elated, electrified and horny for BANE. And a little Lady boner may have popped for Jesse. *Awkward*!!!!



Barrrrron Vicious Spencer, honey....sweetie, my throbbing clit now safely belongs to Roman "Bane" Protsenko and we shall live Happily Ever After 😍
About the Book:
It's written with so much slapstick humour. I was laughing at facetious, quick witted dialogues. The banter was rich and piquant. The emotions though that peeked out from beneath were swirling and deep like the ocean Bane surfs in. Very deep thoughts, memorable lines and very impactful style. The scenes are intricately linked and every character and setting is there to enhance the story forward. Be it the Garden Maze, Pushkin's tattoo, Shadow, Cafe Diem or the Red shiny apple! I had to read each and every word acutely, Leigh gave me no reason to skim or skip. Sex scenes were the hottest, in fact a sneaky reader got very excited reading it😅
📢 IT'S HER BEST BOOK YET !



About the story :
First chapter and my heart dropped to my knees. My soul just crumbled and I fell down, as a reader , as a woman. The worst nightmare now begins. Jesse is hiding because of The Incident . The Princess has had her knees chopped off, her sword wrangled from her and now she delves only in the Dark Guilt Cave, like an Ugly Beast.



Everyone in town heard a version or two of my story. I was the town’s slut. Jezebel. The whore of Babylon. I’d asked for it, so they’d given it to me.
I don’t date.
I don’t do boys.
I’m The Untouchable.



Then comes a Charlatan Knight riding on a Metal Beast, pretending to salvage a wreck of a person. The Princess is rightfully wary and recoils.
Because the Knight is hiding too, behind the Beard and Tattoos.
They're both Broken, Betrayed and Beleagured.
The most unusual of the coupling of characters, if there ever was one. Opposites attract and such, but this isn't a fairytale or a Hearts and Flowers Love story to begin with!
The Princess doesn't need a Prince to save her from the Dragons, she needs a mighty Sword . Cause THIS PRINCESS will save HERSELF🗡 and maybe the Prince in the process too !



A very strong message, that I heard, was that your past doesn't define you and tragedies and mishaps may scar you, but there's nothing a Loving tattoo cannot cover. Incidents you can't control, you CAN however control the Recovery !
Let go of the past. It’s no longer yours,
About the characters :
#ViciousDethroned ⬅️ That should sum it up.
BANE has arrived and how !! A Surfing God who makes even Vicious nervous a tad, even though Baron may deny. He's a Sexual Plumber a dick for hire
The liar. The con. The thief. The escort. his smirk, blond hair and green eyes are his weapons he uses to charm panties off of women. He's like a force of nature that stormed into my heart and just squatted there, evicting Vicious Spencer with a mighty shove and huge, thick, long #Cock ! (cause a dick like that should have it's own #)



The story has an entire album of sick people - Emery, Nolan, Henry, Darren and manipulative bitches like Mayra and Pam and there's the Alpha Jerk -Bane. And in the midst of it all is the shackled Princess.
I understood why Snow White had fallen for the trap. But I was standing right in front of my very personal witch, refusing to make the same mistake.
I was totally submerged in the story. My head, my heart, my soul, empowered by the strength of Jesse The Warrior Princess. Sure Bane made my panties wet and my toes curl, with his deep voice telling me ,...jesse, exactly how he's gonna make me, ....jesse come and what he'll do to me,...jesse *stupid autocorrect* in bed. The scene in the storage room in the Cafe might have smoked my vibrator .....or two, BUT the heroine just totally had me awestruck ! Very rarely do we see the heroine having balls bigger then the Hero.
Leigh's Distressed Damsel doesn't need saving by the Knight, she just needs the Knight to stand with her and hold her sword, if she gets tired for a bit.
The princess’sword was bloody.
But she refused to tuck it back in.
She wanted to leave a trail of their misery behind her, so they could always find her.



Besides the "Pounding like the Pavement" sex and "running down the leg" orgasms, there's a lot of Respect founded. Firstly for the character of Jesse and secondly for the creator Leigh. I don't know what her springboard was for her heroine, but the handling of the delicate subject matter with humour and utmost reverance (what a combo ) is what I LOVED about this book.
My heart was an animal, caged and suppressed and angry. It was hungry. Restless. Out for blood . And I was going to feed it, because new Jesse died. Her quiet, submissive corpse was left on the cool sand of the beach the evening I’d had the flashback.
Through the viciously tragic war that Jesse fights, against her will, twice, an ambushed battle that leaves her broken, scarred and almost dead, Leigh kept her girl strong and fighting till the last of the demons were vanquished and all the villains slain, victory bugle at the end of the battle sounded real sweet because the Princess was standing equal shoulder length to the Proverbial Prince!
Just for that , this book receives an extra star🌟
I have to mention something here- the scene in the police station, where Jesse does Line-up ID, that was brilliant. She gives herself a moment of madness without the crutch of Bane holding her up. It's like she needs a private moment to give Old Jesse a closure before she strengthens herself as the New Jesse! Very noteworthy scene!
About the Author:
Leigh enamoured me with Troy Brennan in her Sparrow. I had found a new author to salivate over. Her subsequent books have always been written well with lots of slapstick humour and characters were alpha HotHoley type. Her book covers are stuff for Spank Banks and if I was younger, those posters would be adorning my walls. She has got the pulse of the market pretty much figured out, so I doubt she needs me fawning over her books much, but I am a loyal Leigh-gioner. Having said that, I also have a moral duty as a reader to tell her where she lacked in a couple of her previous books and she's never held it against me. Which shows me her maturity and her graciousness that sets her apart.
Also I maybe a bit horny for her cause she's so pretty 😜
“what’s the antonym of hate?”
“LEIGH SHEN.”



I love ya princess, I love your men, I love your books, I love your humble heart and I love that you allow me to be your fan!
6 WhollyTruelyMadly stars
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[L.J. Shen]

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[Helena Hunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think you know what to expect, LJ Shen throws you a curve ball that hits you right in the heart. Bane is a heartbreaking, gut wrenching and soul stealing emotional ride that will leave you breathless. Shen writes heroine’s with backbones of steel and heroes you can’t help but fall for. Bane is an absolutely unforgettable love story. Prepare yourself for an epic book hangover.

[Yeasmin Alo · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first I am sooo sorry guys I bailed
I was crazy busy 😣😣 This review should have come out almost 2 weeks ago 😐 sorry again !
Real-life decides to kick butt from time to time
and you gotta kick it's a$$ harder !!
Anyways

DO NOT MISS OR FORGET TO READ
THE EXTENDED EPILOGUE
you will find the link at the end of main book's epilogue by signing up L.J Shen's newsletter 🖤

***The Review****

Me before reading the Book:
(Actually after reading Scandalous)

Yikes!! Bane ,he is such a manwhore !!!
I am not into that kinda dude 😒
He probably even f*cked every possible hole
Including water bottles 😑
Man !!! he even surfs naked 😭😭
Ewwwww who does that?
"My kinda man" would never....
Why this bitch even has his own book?
I am not touching his book with a ten feet pole !!!



Then something happened !!
I decided to put a leash on the judgemental chick I mean bitch in me and that's how I finally got my head outta my a$$ and read this book.




Me after reading the book:
*casually adds Roman to book boyfriend shelf*



Yeah so it happened 😭😭😭
Imma marry
Roman ‘Bane’ Protsenko
If he will still take this judgemental bitch 😑
I will do helluva groveling for this guy 😢😢😢 Imma worship him 😢😢 he is one of a kind.

So my whole approach towards Bane had been changed. I haven't even ever considered adding this book to my TBR.
But my trust in L.J won the Battle
Man I have reminded once again why she is my number one favorite author

She can make me forget the world
that is WHY.

The story starts by introducing
Jesse Carter
She is a young survivor
We will get to witness how a survivor becomes a fighter 💕

“You’re poisoned. Sheltered. Yet, you’re no Snow White.
Wanna know why?”
“Why?”
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”

So this book is Taboo
There is a lot to process in this story
Some people might find it sensitive.
I was on the verge of an internal meltdown throughout the book.
But trust me or not it is worth the trouble.

Running to exhaust myself, physically and mentally, so I could sleep.
Running so I wouldn’t have to stand still, and ponder, and think, and crumble.
Running from my problems, and my reality, and the emptiness that nibbled at the edges of my gut, like acid.
Burning, eating, destroying.

Can you guys I mean you readers /book lovers relate to this quote⬆️⬆️⬆️?
Isn't it the same reason why we read books?
Isn't book our kind of coping mechanism?
Aren't we taking chapter breaks from reality?
I felt that in my soul!

The world seemed painfully mundane while wrapped up in Roman Protsenko’s exceptional orbit. Like he was bigger than the place he was born in.

You know sometimes we find the light of hope from the most unexpected places in unexpected times?
BUT
Bane didn't come to save the day!
He makes a new day happen!
He is not the light or flicker of hope
HE IS THE HOPE HIMSELF



So what I like most about Roman is that he didn't become the said bodyguard of Jesse
He helped his snowflake to build a spine on her own.
He pushed her but didn't tarnish or fight her demon for his snowflake.
He let Jesse fight her demons by herself.
And he was right there by her side.

“But I’m here for you, Snowflake. I’ll be sitting on the sidelines cheering for you because you’re the strongest girl I know, but I’ll also be there if you need me. Needing someone wouldn’t make you any less strong, Jesse. It would just make you human.”

Part of me was thinking Bane would be this cocky selfish man child
But No!!
He is a man through and through !!!
So he is-

*compassionate
*Responsible
*Razor Sharp smart
*Passionate
*Career oriented
*Ambitious
*Full of sense of humour and witt

Dude !! how can he not be my
Book boyfriend 😢😢
He has checked all the boxes with star marks and flying colors.

”We were two lonely, fucked-up souls. It made wanting Bane in my life acceptable. I wanted him to fix me.
To cure me.
To hold me.
To make me laugh.
To make the pain go away.
More than anything, I wanted him to lift my shirt, see the scar, kiss it better, and tell me that I was beautiful. I could almost imagine it if I tried real hard—his beard on my marred flesh. His crinkly, soothing eyes on my sore memories.
Soft.
Warm.
Good.
Breathe.
I needed to breathe”

Jesse is such a strong soul.
Yet, she let her man see her vulnerability
She taught ME wanting something and going after it doesn't make you weak!
But Giving up on something you want makes you weak.
Wearing a facade makes you weak. She not only handled and rebuild her life beautifully, she also rebuild the lives of the people around her.
She is such a powerful energy.
But silent.
Giving and caring.
I loved how she is equal to Bane.

“Can you be there for me? Just in case I need someone to hold my sword for me?” I did a little bow with my head. “Why, my princess, I thought you’d never ask.”

Yeah So what I loved about them as a couple is
Bane never treated and taken Jesse for granted
and in return, Jesse never holds back with Bane.
They weren't in a conventional give and take relationship
Their relationship was no hold back , give and give relationship.
They were there for each other when they needed each other and they gave each other space when it was necessary.
I loved they weren't Clingy PDA type of couple.
Both of them are reasonable and perfectly fitted and complimented each other.

In short, one of my most surprisingly top favourite
reads of this year 😍

And

The princess saved herself.
But it was her knight that kept her story alive

Happy Reading y'all xoxo

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★4.5★

"Just remember, Snowflake-you fucking begged for it."

Bane is the fourth book in the Sinners of Saint Series. Although the series is best enjoyed if read from the beginning, you can enjoy each book as a stand-alone. In Bane, L.J. Shen is back with another broken bad boy who we find is a perfect match for the sweet, broken, and introverted Jesse Carter.

"He had a take-no-prisoners approach to sex, and missionary wasn't only not on the menu for him, but I doubted it was even in his vocabulary."

Jesse Carter is a girl that is no stranger to physical pain, emotional pain, and abandonment. When her stepfather makes a deal with Roman “Bane” Protsenko, an unexpected romance is ignited. Bane has been hired to spend time with the introverted Jesse and to help her find confidence once again. But it is Bane who is changed by Jesse. As the unique plot unfolds, tensions rise and Bane and Jesse find themselves in the fight of their lives. Can two very different people find long-lasting love together? And after they find that love, can they keep it?

"Where have you been all my life?"

Told in dual POV, Bane offers a complex plot with raw beauty in every moment. The lyrical writing of Ms. Shen never fails to amaze me. The secondary characters enhance the story greatly as their love and disdain for the main characters infiltrates every fragment of the plot. Both Bane and Jesse are perfectly matched and despite their differences and history, the journey they take together is one that I will never forget.



Overall, I highly recommend Bane to anyone who enjoys a charming anti-hero who falls in love with the most unlikely heroines. L.J. Shen has and always will be a go-to author for me. Her commitment to her characters and the world in which they live emanates so completely that I feel as though I have been transported to another world. A world in which I never want to leave. When Ms. Shen is writing, my Kindle and I are ready to read!!!!

***Sinners of Saint***


*ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review!

For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[mel ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread (feb 2020): 4.5 stars

BANE AND JESSE ARE SO UNDERRATED !!

there i said it im sorry but it's true! my babies need more recognition THEY DESERVE.

why?

because instead of focusing on petty, immature drama or toxic powerplay mind games OR stupid OP drama, their story focuses more on development starting on friendship where Bane becomes Jesse's personal cheerleader and helping her come out of her shell after the nightmare she went through. and then after that there's a lil push and pull, i want you but i can't want you type of trope and i was all for it.

and the drama? it was angsty and a there's little bit of a mystery that i predicted from the beginning but it was still a page-turner for me!

and another thing that made me love this WITHOUT ANY KIND OF BIAS is Bane.
why you ask? well, when i read that the H has a man bun and a beard, my mind automatically goes to this guy:



lemme quench all your thirsts with one more:



holy mother of-
sorry Sanem but he is MY albatross.

so is picturing this fine man as Bane one of the main reasons why i love this book? HA ha ha ah ha. no. pfft im not bias or anything. nope.

but anyways, even though i loved Vicious, this is kinda my favorite now at the moment.

there's a lot of things that may upset people tho so,
trigger warnings: aggravated sexual assault (detailed in inner monologue AND a flashback scene), child molestation and rape, and slut-shaming.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

original rating: 4 stars

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

snow white waited for the prince. you'll be the one saving yourself in this story.

wow, not to be dramatic but this book was fucking incredible. and i shouldn't be surprised, because this series is probably my favorite NA series out there. this one follows bane & jesse. bane is unlike any of the other rich douchebags in this series, and has a pretty different history. but then again so does jesse.

i think everyone up front should know that this book deals with sexual assault and rape in a very head on way. i was not expecting that going into this book. not to say that the others in this series have been sweet, but this one had a decidedly different tone.

bane essentially is tasked with getting jesse out of her shell after she's been raped. and once i read that, i was really skeptical of how that would go... i'm extremely cautious of books that deal with sexual assault in romance because they typically imply that love can fix anything. and that just isn't true. thankfully this book didn't fall into that trap.

for example, after the first time jesse has sex with bane she says: "I'd enjoyed our morning together, but I also enjoyed being my own person."

additionally, bane is one of the best heroes in NA i've read in a while. he loves his mom, he treats his woman with respect. he is so respectful of jesse and what she's been through and doesn't do any of that dubious consent shit like other NA heroes. which was great. and in general, i was just really rooting for him to succeed. he was a sweetheart, but like a surfing, motorcycle riding, tattoo having, one.

all of that being said

there were a couple of plot points that rubbed me the wrong one. the biggest was regarding lost memory. i don't claim to be a psychologist, but suppressed memories are some of the most controversial things... as in most doctors believe that they don't exist. and i kind of felt like in this case that entire sub plot could have been excluded and the story would have been more believable.

i don't think it will bother everyone, but having done research on that in the past i wasn't excited that it was included.

seriously, if you're looking for a unique romance & you like the other books in this series, you should give this one a go. it didn't disappoint.

PS IF YOU ARE A SUCKER FOR PROPOSALS... read this series.


************************
Only my most favorite ~sort of~ reformed surfer pothead.

I need this like I need my next breathe. COME TO MAMA!

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I was the guy everyone knew and she was the girl desperate to be forgotten”.

DAYUM!!

L.J Shen was not playing around with this one! “Bane is by far her best work to date and it showed in every single word that she gave us. There’s a new bad boy in town, and he’s taking panties first and saving the pleasantries for later. I thought for sure that no one could dethroned Vicious, but ladies… I was DEAD.WRONG!

A con artist, liar, habitual pothead, manwhore, you name it, and Roman “Bane” Protsenko has been called it. But he’s also a business man and in this town, reputation is EVERYTHING. When he gets an offer that he literally can’t refuse, making his mark on the town won’t be the only thing that he leaves in his wake. How hard can it be to stay away from the untouchable?

Jesse Carter is over boys. After a rocky two years that turned her life upside down, she’s content with having a very private and lonely life. But her quiet life is about to get really loud when the resident bad boy enters the picture. How far will Bane go to get Jesse back to being normal? What happens when two people who were never meant to be more, becomes more to each other.

“He was cracking my heart with every touch, shattering it with every smile, and it didn’t make any sense because how could he break something that was already broken?”

They say that there are certain people who comes into your life for a reason. I think that this was absolutely true in this case for Bane and Jess. There was so much tragedy and heartache that these two went through not only separately, but together. Bane was everything that you could’ve wanted in a friend, a son, and a lover. He was loyal, loving, and protective and it showed in every action he did.



This book broke my expectations on another level. I knew it was going to be good because let’s be real right now: this author can write! What I wasn’t expecting was to fall so deeply and madly in love with these characters. They’ve imprinted their lives into my soul and I’m so happy I got the chance to witness the love, sacrifices and hurt in order for them to reach their true destination. HAPPINESS.

I will never forget this book or these characters and that is something I don’t say lightly.



   

[bookish · Rating 1 out of 5]

if i was kidnapped and had a gun to my head to reread this series I’ll nicely ask them to pull the trigger.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

**This does include some BIG SPOILERS behind my spoiler tags, so please, as always -- don't click on the tags unless you want it to be spoiled!**

Overall Opinion: This was much better than I thought it would be! I f-loved Bane! He was a train wreck in the best way. They were perfect for each other in their f-ed upness. I appreciated his frank honestly and how he didn't try to act like someone he wasn't. He owned up to his bad qualities, and didn't apologize for them. I also appreciated how Jesse helped him too. He had some past demons that she brought to the foreground, and he had to deal with them to find his own happiness. I liked the idea that Jesse needed to "save" herself, and she did, but also had the support of Bane throughout.

...so why not a 5 star rating? The ending. It felt rushed. While I did get a better ending with the extended epilogue, I still felt a little disappointed. I also find it frustrating to have to sign up for a newsletter in order to get the extended epilogue in the first place tbh. We get this great closure for Jesse and her demons, but I wanted more time with them navigating their new lives together and some more closure for them as a couple. The extended epilogue hits the main points needed for me to label it a "HEA" they're married with child, but I'm greedy and wanted more than a couple paragraphs for each milestone 🤷🏻‍♀️

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Jesse and Bane's story. Jesse has become a recluse after a traumatic experience years before, and Bane strikes a financial deal with her stepfather to get her out of her self-made shell. The more time they spend together, the more they realize that they both need each other and fall in love. There is a lot of past baggage and current conflicts for both of them to work through, some hot sexy times, and a few funny moments...and they get a HFN ending.

POV: This alternated between Jesse and Bane's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. The end did feel a little rushed, but overall it was pretty good. I never skimmed.

Instalove:No. Instant connection and lust? Yes. But they take a while to develop stronger feelings.

H rating: 5 stars. Bane. OMG this man! He was a mess and didn't try to hide it. I loved how he loved the h. I loved how he was so protective and sweet while also being alpha and broody.

h rating: 4.5 stars. Jesse. I really liked her. I felt completely bad for her traumatic past, but I appreciated how she had such an inner strength and sass despite it all.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes They both push away and also pursue the relationship at times. I'd say that the H is the main pursuer of the relationship.

Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW/OM drama: Yes The h becomes jealous of the "clients" that the H has, but doesn't really express that. She also is jealous of the H's ex, Edie, who is still his good friend and she does express that. The H is jealous of one of his friends talking and hitting on the h.

Sex scene with OW or OM: Not descriptive There is one "client" that he does sleep with after meeting the h, but it's not descriptive.

Cheating: Not IMO They are not together and the h knows that the H deals in sexual encounters for his business deals (prostitution). There are some feelings being developed between them though, and once the H realizes that he is starting to care for the h -- he stops all physical contact with OW.

Separation: Yes They are separated shortly (couple weeks?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time.

Possible Triggers: Yes **BIG SPOILERS**Two instances of rape (one gang rape off page through mentions and one by father figure on page through memories), assault (off and on page), forced abortion (off page though mention), drug use (H marijuana), extortion/prostitution (H on page - not descriptive sex scenes just after effect), and suicide (side character on page).

Closure: This had what I would call a HFN ending they got engaged and she's pregnant, but the author does offer an extended epilogue that gives us the HEA if we sign up for her newsletter. The extended epilogue was short, cute, and gave some pretty good closure. See above "overall opinion" section for more about how I felt about the closure.

Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers.

- Does Not have cheating (see above)
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does have abuse
- Does Not have a HEA ending (see above)

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Sinner.

“Bane is awfully similar to Vicious, wouldn’t you agree?”

Not really.

1. Bane was never as privileged as Vicious.

I was a Russian immigrant bastard living in one of the richest towns in the States. I never stood a chance to fit in in the first place. So, what was really the harm in standing out?

2. Besides the fact that he was lying through his teeth to Jesse, he was far more honest and he had a more innocent soul than Vicious.

“I don’t think you understand, Snowflake. You don’t have any say in this shit. I’m going to help you whether you want my help or not. And I’m willing to punch every face in Todos Santos if it makes you feel safer, my own included...”

Okay, I need to warn you that this story deals with rape and an innocent rape victim who has chosen to disappear inside herself and away from other people instead of fighting back and punishing her attackers. The attackers are still free in Todos Santos. They are successful, happy, guilty-free while Jesse is treated like she is the town’s whore.

She does not want to live. She does not want to love.

“You can’t be afraid of love, my dear. It’s like being afraid of death. It is inevitable.”

Until one day a catalyst appears out of the blue. Bane will be offered money by her stepfather in order to bring her back to life. Bane is used to sell his body for money and favours, so he will take this challenge.

“What would it take for you to have coffee with me?” He breathed hard, picking up where we’d left off. Last time, I told him he’d need to save my life.
I guess he just had.
“For you to tell me why you want to do this.”
“I need to fix you,” he said, his greens on my blues.
To. Fix. You.

Jesse will bounce back and Bane will lose his heart in the process.

“If you get into this girl’s life, you cannot leave without a trace. You know that. Right, Roman?”

For the first time after her rape, Jesse will be the one who initiates things with a boy - although Bane resists, maybe for the first time in his slutty life.

“Kiss me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I told you why. You deserve better than a bastard like me.”
“But you’re my bastard.”
I tsked. “I’m everyone’s bastard, Jesse, and therein lies the problem.”

But more dirty secrets will be revealed. Jesse has been abused again before. When she remembers and when she finds out that moreover Bane has been playing her, it will be Jesse's turn to save herself.

“You’re poisoned. Sheltered. Yet, you’re no Snow White. Wanna know why?”
“Why?”
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”

It is time for Bane to do some serious grovelling. And to take back his place in Jesse's life.

“The queen is the most powerful piece,” he hissed. “Don’t let the pawns bring you down.”
I wanted to ask him if he was my king.
Because I knew how to play chess very well.
But the answer was crystal clear to me.
Roman ‘Bane’ Protsenko was my knight. The piece of the chess game that needed to be moved sooner than the pawns, the bishops, and the queens.

This book is a complete standalone. Vicious makes a cameo appearance, but he does not have an important role besides introducing Bane to Jesse's stepfather.

The author can definitely write about the most mouth-watering bastards who will redeem themselves at the end and kneel for their women.

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I have a bad reputation.” He stopped, staring at me. “Mine’s worse.”

This is the last book in the Sinners of Saint series. I figured LJ Shen would go out with a quick little ditty about a hot stoner surfer, and the girl he falls for. Well she did that, but she did way more than I anticipated. This story was about Bane sure, but it was also about a broken girl getting the push she needs from the man she was not expecting.

I am in love with Bane. I am in love with Jesse. I cried sporadically throughout this story. It will gut you. You will cheer for the characters. You will yell at them. You will get sweaty from their hot and heavy moments together. This story has high highs and low lows. You will feel every single one of them. Every single emotion.

Such an unexpectedly emotional read. I loved it, and I’m so happy this author didn’t pull any punches with the finale to this series. She kept it real and raw. So good.

https://instagram.com/p/BihMR3cB9Bb/
^fan art on IG!

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I am a fan of L.J. Shen's work. This is the fourth book in the series, and no worries, it can be read as a stand alone. I would advice reading the others though, I myself especialy loved "Ruckus",  and even though this book certainly rocked...he will always be my favorite I think ;) That said, this one comes in on a very close second !! Bane and Jesse definitely had me on the edge of my seat ;)



When I started this book, I was immediately pulled into the story.... Bane is a bad boy, though he is different from the previous alpha's.  Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud..... I fell in love with him on the spot :P



Right now, he has made a bussiness-deal, that has him putting all his focus on Jesse... He isn't prepared for all that is Jesse though...He can't help but falling for her, and I really can't say I blame him.



I really loved Jesse, she was so broken, yet so strong and I am in awe of her. Her story broke my heart, but seeing Bane, and how he was slowly healing her...it mended all her broken pieces, but mine as well ;)

This is when the princess started saving herself ....



I laughed, I cried, I swooned..I even screamed some :P

I Highly recommend this book and the rest of the books in the "Sinners of Saint" series !!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

JUST WENT LIVE!!
Amazon US * Amazon UK



When we were first introduced to Bane in the previous book it was very easy to try and paint him the villain. He was crass and unapologetic and too used to getting what he wanted. And in his own story he is no different. He shows no shame for his ways and proved to me that I have very bad taste in men because damn was it attractive. His confidence didn't waver and I loved it along with his rough around the edges character.

Jesse, she broke my heart. She went through so much pain in her life and was still dealing with that when this book opened up. She could have given up on life and I would have completely understood. But then Bane was there to give her the kick in the ass that she needed to get out and live her life again. I loved that he wasn't easy on her, he understood her worries and helped her as much as he could but he wouldn't let her hide. Seeing him bring out that tough side Jesse kept hidden was the best part of this story and why I loved it.

Once Jesse started to open up more we got to see a completely different side to her. That new side also brought amazing banter between her and Bane that I loved. I felt like it really showed that their connection was more than him wanting to fix her. Because in the end he gave her the tools but she was the one that fixed herself.

Bottom line, this is now one of my favorite LJ Shen books and a book I highly recommend reading. I would say it could be read as a standalone since there are only a few small cameo's from previous characters but nothing that would confuse you or spoil anything.

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Vanessa Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting anything less than perfection with Bane, because that's the kind of author L. J. Shen is, she gives you everything in every single one of her books, and Bane... Sweet Lord, Bane was out of this world, the last Sinner of Saint was superb.

One thing I can say about Bane without spoiling it: he's broken, he's just a master at hiding it, he hides his pain so well even he believes he's whole. Roman AKA Bane is way different from the other Sinners, he's such a complex character, he's not bad nor he's good, he's simply human.

Two words: Jesse Carter, let's take a moment to absorb how sublime she is. I haven't read anything like her before. Her story is not pretty but her inner beauty goes beyond what's on the outside. She fights like a queen, and even though her life hasn't been easy she keeps trying. We need more characters like her, more characters who teach us that we are more important than events.

Bane and Jesse's story demands to be read, because is not flawless but is human, because is real and gritty and that's the kind of book that steals your heart and never lets it go.

It doesn't matter what kind of genres you usually read, Bane is one of those books everyone needs to read. To put it simply, Bane is a masterpiece.

Happy reading!

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ STARS
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-6/5/18

WOWZA!!!
I seriously feel like I'm in a major book coma here, so fabulously good reading was "Bane".

If I could give this more than five Stars I so bloody would, I found this that good.
How on earth is my next read going to live up to the spectacular experience that was Roman/Bane's and Jesse's totally messed up and unique onward sprint to there forever life with each other.
Never have I been rooting for a couple's happiness more than these two.
They just had such a zen-like ability to reel my emotions along with them for the ride and I was so invested in their overall future together.
It was like they were a favourite friend or family member of mine that I was watching over like a proud parent.

I also really embraced the underlying humour portrayed throughout this book.
I found myself chuckling along with both Bane and Jesse as they both came out with such classic one-liners that easily brought a big grin to my face.

"I've signed so many NDA'S, at this point, I don't talk to anyone about anything other than the weather"

"Let's Hear them" "Suka blyat. Horosho. Kak Dela. Pizdets. Privet" Those were all curses and pleasantries. Your Russian family must be really fucking passive-aggressive"

"Bane" in itself was just so refreshing with such easy to like main characters contained within its pages.
First, we have Jesse Carter and can I just say what a girl she was.
A Russian immigrants daughter from the wrong side of the track.
With a trainwreck of a mum who has married into the wealth and prestige of all that is Todos Santos.
And still, after everything she has endured, when most people would have thrown in the towel.
Jesse still manages to project such a fragile hope and earnestness about herself.
there is such an innate inbuilt strength and resilience to her overall character.

Hiding from a world that has shown her nothing but heartbreak and fear.
Her only friends an old lady with Alzheimer ’s and her trusty pet dog.
This girl still manages to retain her quirky sense of humour and is really just waiting for someone to give her a helping hand out of the dark and into the light.
and that tattoo of hers is a beacon, a sign reaching out towards Bane saying "I'm Waiting for you to catch this crazy train too".

"My whole life has been pledged to this meeting with you"

So poignant and true.

And my god Bane/Roman what a revelation he is.
Not quite good or bad but someone uniquely himself.
With an ego the size of a city and a smart dirty mouth to boot.
what he wants he goes for and usually gets.
Thief, Con artist, Liar and Town whore.
He owns his labels proudly, with head held high.

And what starts out as just a stepping stone to his ultimate goal swiftly morphs into something so much more.
This book has everything it needs to make it a smasher and I just couldn't put it down it was that entertaining.
The drama and revelations here were like dominoes they just kept on falling.
This also had marvellous side characters some I adored others were major toxic.
But each and every one of them added an extra layer and flavour to the proceedings.
I cannot recommend this book enough its one hell of a read and I devoured every word.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of "Bane (Sinners of Saint, #4)" of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Rumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vic has officially met his match. Checkmate.

Nine months. Most women spend nine months creating tiny humans; L.J. Shen spent the last nine months teasing readers about the enigma that is Bane, before we even officially met him in Scandalous (Sinners of Saint #3). To say Bane was my most anticipated book of 2018 would be an understatement and, boy, was the wait worth it.

I’ll admit, I was a little sceptical when Shen first started teasing readers about this book. Because how was she going to top Vicious- king of Todos Santos and the Sinners of Saint series??

Bane gives Vicious a run for his money. He is ruthless. He is a savage. He is money and power-hungry. But, unlike Vic, Bane has layers only a selected few get to see for themselves: compassion, tolerance, and a good sense of humour. I ALWAYS find it difficult to empathise with the female protagonist, but L.J. Shen writes the best heroines. Jesse is equal parts broken and brave, and Shen does her story justice while tackling a sensitive topic. It’s refreshing to see the heroine become her own saviour, piecing her soul back together in front of our very own eyes. She is officially one of my all-time favourite heroines. Ever.

We see the merging of two lovers with two broken souls- yet Bane and Jesse are so perfect for each other, completing one another in ways the other is empty. Their story is messy and gritty, and L.J. Shen has definitely pulled out all the stops with this one. I don’t say this lightly, but Bane is her best work to date.

Over and out.

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warning: This book contains abuse (rape) and slut shaming.

Bane is the Sinners of Saint finale and it's about Edie Van Der Zee's best friend / ex-boyfriend Roman Protsenko a.k.a. Bane. He's a businessman, surfer, and pothead. He's the town's gigolo and most of his clients were rich married women. He's a sinner just like the previous guys in the series. While I'm pleased he gets a spotlight, he never captivated me in Scandalous so I set my expectations low in this book.

Bane successfully had a six million dollar deal with business tycoon Darren Morgansen in order to build his dream SurfCity center under a condition he'll help his stepdaughter, Jesse Carter, to socialize again after an unfortunate incident that ruined her dignity and reputation. To add more stipulation, he wasn't allowed to date or sleep with her, failed to do so the deal is off with underlying consequences.

The first time he met her was on the beach and recognize her Pushkin quote tattoo on her back. Gone was the lively and carefree Jesse Carter after she's physically and sexually abused by her ex-boyfriend and his friends. She isolated herself from everyone after the incident. It tremendously affected Jesse mentally, socially and emotionally. She endures the slut-shaming, the hurtful rumors and no one protected her.

"Life is about meeting your eyes in the mirror without flinching."

Jesse Carter is the strongest heroine in this series. She was weak and vulnerable in the beginning. She was anxious, aloof and snobbish. Her story was truly heartbreaking. I am furious with her problematic parents for letting her rapists slipped away. Unpunished. They value their reputation than seeking justice for Jesse. It was bullshit, I want to throw them in a Shark infested ocean. 😤🔪 Yet, she picked herself up and learned to trust again. She carried herself with strength and confidence. The Jesse who's genuine, sassy and cheerful. She had a wonderful comeback and living to the fullest.

My LEAST favorite character in this series became my FAVORITE. Bane Protsenko was the underdog and he outshined ALL the heroes in the series. He's not even part of the Four Hotholes (Baron Spencer, Dean Cole, Jaime Followhill and Trent Rexroth) and he just dethroned my favorite sinner, Dean Cole. He's a bad boywith personal demons. He's handsome, edgy, sexy and charming. GAAH I couldn't ask for more. He and Jesse have great character developments.

The Sinners of Saint finale tackled several issues and they're all handled so well. Rape is a grievous offense. Rapists shouldn't be condoned and deserved to be punished. Rape victims should be heard. Not to be silenced and judged wrongly. Never hesitate getting help from others. Everything was addressed and justice has been served in a silver platter. I love it! This book is about family, friendship, healing and too. Family doesn't have to be blood related and whatever conflicts come their way, family sticks together. Jesse found comfort and trust with Mrs. Belfort (her old neighbor whom she helped in the end-- that part was quite emotional), Bane and Gail.

The romance between Bane and Jesse was outstanding. I want to emphasize this because it's amazingly developed. These two started as friends and Bane had a rough time because Jesse was closed off. I love his effort engaging her in friendly conversations. He respects her space and lets her do things according her comfort zone. Despite of the deal, his intentions are good and sincere. They had ups and downs in their relationship. They worked on their personal issues and it was an emotional journey for these two but everything was worth it as it ended blissfully. The extended epilogue made it more precious. ❤️😍👏🏼

Overall, this is L.J. Shen's best work yet and I think she'll do better in her upcoming novels. Everything falls in the right place and thankfully the drama wasn't over the top. It's almost perfect stars but there's one part I feel like it's a cop out.

Final rating: 4.5 / 5 stars.

Full review posted.

[Olga therebelreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me laugh and cry. How the author manages to write stories that strike at all my deeper emotions, I’ll never know. Bane is an emotional roller coaster and Shen has perfected the mix of action, drama, and romance.

Shen chooses to explore the way in which a woman might cope with perhaps one of the most horrendous things that can be done to her. As a reader my heart went out to Jesse. I wanted to help her. I wanted to punish those who hurt her and I literally cried for her. And I admired her. Bane tries to unravel the secrets surrounding Jesse and finds himself falling in love with her against his better judgment. Jesse is a wonderfully strong heroine and I adored Bane. He was a strong yet caring man and his love for Jesse and his ability to look past the horrors that were committed on her was so uplifting and heartwarming that I couldn't stop the overwhelming emotions it caused in me.

All in all, I found the book to be an entertaining and heartbreaking read. Jesse and Bane are adorable together with their romance being a nice combination of endearing and steamy. There was so much going on in the pages of this story to keep you glued. Twists and turns and danger lurking at every turn for this couple. Highly recommended to all.


In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 4/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 4/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 3/5 | Humor 2/5 | Secondary Characters 4/5 | Drama-Conflict 4/5 | Mystery 3/5 | Twists 4/5 | Pacing Fast | Action 4/5


ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Megan✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I was the guy everyone knew, and she was a ghost desperate to be forgotten.”

To say that I was excited about the release of Bane by L J Shen would be a massive understatement. I have waited with baited breath for book 4 in one of my favourite series of all time, Sinners of Saint, and it did not disappoint. It was definitely well worth the wait. L. J. has such a talent for writing her heroes in all their unrepentant anti-hero glory; those who are always branded a bully and march to the beat of their own drum. Underneath, what is shown on the outside, there is always something more to them, a story that is bursting to be told. I always find her characters to be fascinating and the more I read about them, the more I want to get to know them.

If you love your sexy as sin bad boys then you are going to love Roman Protsenko, AKA Bane, he is bad to the bone and completely unapologetic for the way he is. Bane is a really interesting character though, probably one of the most fascinating and intricate characters I have ever read. He consists of many, many layers and the more layers you peel back, the more you discover, only to realise he’s not all as he seems. To know him really is to love him.

I have no words really to express how much I loved and adored Jesse, AKA, Snow White. She is such a beautiful broken soul and with everything she’s been through, I just felt gutted for her. Even though she had been to hell and back and become a shell of the person she once was, she portrayed so much strength, courage and bravery. She was an absolute inspiration in the true sense of the word.

“Love is like ivy. It wraps around you, chokes every part of you quietly. It is not patient, or kind, or gentle. It is needy, cunning, and suffocating.”

The relationship between Bane and Jesse was phenomenal and I don’t say that lightly. They had the kind of understanding and mutual appreciation I have waited a long time to read. I tend to be harder on the heroines of a story I read because I put myself in their shoes and what I would do in a particular situation. Even though Jesse was scarred, she still accepted Bane for who he was and in return they had such a profound connection. While Bane was all about the tough love with Jesse and he did give her the push she needed, it was in fact Jesse who was the one who would save herself and get her life back in order.

Bane was a multitude of emotions for me, a complete rollercoaster that I never wanted to end. This story was heartbreaking, sad, raw, complex, and unique. But above all else it was a story about finding love when you least expect it during your darkest hours. As much as I loved this series and L. J.’s work in general, nothing could have prepared me for what I was to discover. No review I attempt to write will do justice to this epic story, so my advice is to just delve in and enjoy the ride that is Bane in all his naked surfing glory.