The Cardinal Sin

The Cardinal #4

by Mia Smantz

Book 4 of the Cardinal Series

Former CIA Agent Grinley took Callie from the Emerson Team's house. They get her back, but will they ever be able to recover from the aftermath of everything that happened? They can only hope and try to move on. Things are heating up in all aspects of Callie's life. Her past continues to haunt her in the worst of ways while the guys at Delta struggle to stay on top of things. It's difficult to do when the hits keep coming from too many directions to count.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Dark, Why Choose, Slow Burn, New Adult, Mystery

369 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2020

About the author

A little about me. I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. I especially love it when I can do more than one of those at a time. I have too many different series started, but all of them are definitely reverse-harem. It took me years to finish my first book, and now I have started to publish them.



My style leans towards paranormal, mystery, thriller themes when I write and read. If I'm trying to write, and I don't have time to read until I get inspired, I like to listen to music. That'll usually get me out of a block and back to writing!!

Reviews

[Amara · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNFing this due to the fact I can't keep the characters straight. I'll try again once series is complete. I need a character cheat sheet or a summary to remember what all has happened. I'm too lost at 10%.

[OneDayI'll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spinning in circles

Callie the kidnapped is tired of her nickname. Kidnapped by Veseli at 11, by Ivanov at 15, rescued at 19 by Delta but kidnapped from their care by Grinley, and the list goes on. Sadly, Grinley nabbed her again, because the initial meet and greet torture session just wasn't enough for him. Even losing his agent status wasn't enough, he's convinced that only he can bring down Ivanov- and Callie is the key to that kingdom. But it's been 3 days and while she isn't exactly looking forward to Grinley's return after his threats to escalate things, humans- especially kidnapped ones- need water and food.

Spoilers ahead.
This entire series has been an amazing and winding adventure. And it's not over yet. The slow burn is appropriate, even after the taunting in book 3 of more. Callie may be 19, but she's had 8 years of being a machine, not a human. Traumatized into behaving isn't exactly growing up normally and tender behavior is not something she's used to. Knowing her very presence is a threat doesn't exactly make easing into relationships less difficult. And hitting the pause button for missions and kidnappings slows progress, too. But she's no Daphne waiting on the Scooby gang. She is always thinking of pros and cons, the next step and how to get around the roadblocks. I love seeing how her mind works, and how the people around her get it or not. And, sometimes even if they understand the how, they don't always get the why. This book picks up with Grinley's kidnapping and speed trains to the end. The emotional rollercoasters of safe and not, the mystery identity revealed, tracking hidden bases, another kidnapping that becomes something unexpected, a plot twist, aliens, revealed monsters ...no, wait, the aliens thing isn't true. But, this book is definitely one of those that you power through, then reread immediately because you just know you missed something important. And then read again because it's awesome. It moves fast, has a lot of moving parts, and a sweet humor and sadness woven in. I'm afraid to hint too much because book ruining spoilers but this is one of the best in the series so far. One was a gut punch, 2 was learning to fly, 3 was centering things, this one was like a pinball machine smacking into all the feels and bouncing off the walls.
The editing was a little more glitchy than in previous books but honestly, the beta readers were probably so overwhelmed they didn't want to pull out to breathe, let alone pinpoint errors.

[Christy deSade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inconsistencies abound

Seems like a different author wrote this installment due to the changes in overall character personalities and all of the inconsistencies in the storyline. Examples:
Callie says she never told CJ that she named his computer, but she did and they laughed about it.
Callie says that Emerson calling her "pet" was a first when he came back from the hospital on pain meds but he called her that in 2 other books at least. Callie has a breakdown after killing a guard in self defense but none of the other deaths have caused such a reaction. Callie was 4'11&3/4" in one book, 5'3" in this one. The were also suddenly homophone issue. I'm going to finish the series, but I'm disappointed that the quality of writing has dropped.

[Siri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars
Omg this was such a rollercoaster, i fucking need the next book now! It get even better and i love when the story moves forward even if it might be kind of slow at some parts. I really like how this series is not just taking place in USA like most of the books are. I am jealous of how many languages Calli can speak, omg i have never read a book like this. But i feel frustrated sometimes cuz i feel their relationship is moving slow , but i get why tho.

[Babuschkina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"like chirpy, adult boy scouts, ready to save the day"

I don't give a damn if the whole thing is unrealistic - it's just too good

[Amanda Fabian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh....be prepared PG-13, maybe just PG

I keep reading the books in hopes they feel more like a romance novel and at this point im getting angry. There is no steam. Like none. Wow. She made out with someone and never made it to 2nd base. She apparently has 8 hot grown men waiting for a year basically for a virgin. A grown man that talks like he's on a kids TV show. Most of the time they almost all come off whiney and she is so oblivious I want to smack her. The only character I even like at this point is Aleks. I was trying to hold out, but now i feel like I invested all this time for nothing.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters and not enough romance. I really liked the first book but the 2-4 feels like boring filler.

I find it hard to believe all these guys are interested. She's only 19 and one of them is 28. They will have to cram 8 guys romance into the last 2 books. That's a lot of guys to satisfy.

How many times can one person be kidnapped? The whole plot is too farfetched.

[Cassidy Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I did like this book but I don't think it's going to be my favorite of the series. I really like this but I thought the last halfish of the book to me was boring, which was weird because that was where all the action was. I did figure out who was the one that wanted Callie during the middle of the book only because it made the most sense and if it was the other one she probably would have been more injured than she was. I still love the guys and I love that their relationship with Callie is progressing more while their relationship with each other is growing stronger and they're all becoming a family (ps I was also wondering why they didn't try to do what they said in the epilogue a lot sooner because it would make the most sense to do that). I also still love the Cardinals and I love that we are getting to know them more as each book progresses and I love their relationship with Callie, they are most definitely the sisters she never had. Overall I really did like this book even if I thought it was a bit boring at times.

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The relationships really seemed to slow down here and the focus was more on the plot... which was okay I guess. I mean, a lot happened, but it all felt over the top and dramatic for no reason. Also, the cliff hanger from the last book doesn't even last past the prologue in this one making it feel really anti-climatic.
Could Callie stop getting hurt for one second? How does she not have permanent brain damage and why do people keep bringing her on missions???
And I am so not a fan of the ending. I feel like something was missing and why isn't anyone else commenting how things aren't lining up? Aren't they supposed to be amazing agents?

While I say the romance slowed down, I should also mention that it felt more comfortable. There was a lot of pushing and newness in the last book, so while nothing really new comes out, I'd say it is great they are getting used to being comfortable with each other.

So, all in all not my favorite of the bunch. I hope the next book features at least one of the villains captured and more progress on relationships.

[Andréa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of action and suspense as well as lighter and emotionally charged moments, this book is the perfect combination. I loved it !

I loved being part of Callie and her guys' story once again. And I really can't wait for the next book. I have so many questions. Things didn't go the way I expected which is both frustrating and great, meaning I can still be surprised.

I wanted to keep the book for later, pace myself you know. I thought I would just check chapter 1 because of the ending of book 3... and then chapter 2 because why not right... and you know how it goes. Next thing I knew I'm halfway through the book and not even trying to make excuses for myself. It was THAT captivating and I had a great time and zero regret.

[Annelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best but still good ⭐⭐⭐3.5⭐⭐⭐

I struggled a bit finishing this book. I think it suffers a bit of middle book syndrom (even if it's not really in the middle of the serie, it's the fourth one on six). One reason is maybe the fact that I realised that there are six books in this serie... It's a lot I think and it demotivated me a bit.

Then, the relationship between Callie and the guys is still stalling and stalling and stalling... Don't expect anything except some kisses and a bit of naughty things but we are far from the "grand finale"😅😂🙄
I don't understand why the guys are still competing for Callie's attention? Strenght is in numbers guys! And as they already realised that she won't be able to choose and that they would have to share, so why continuing? Or maybe it's just me who understood this...😅😂

I still like the plot twits which continuously happen in this serie and here there is a big one. I was happy for Callie!

I love the end of the book, the action, and the fact that the guys finally realised something very important for their future (hope there will be some steam finally😉🔥🔥🔥

I definitely will continue this serie! My motivation came back with the epilogue and I really look forward Callie's next adventures!

[JadeShea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. I enjoyed Callie, and her quest to stop the bad guys. I thought this one had a lot of character, and I enjoyed her past coming back as well. I can't wait for more.

[TipseyBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this book as soon as I was able (abt 2 am), and I told myself I was just going to make sure Emerson was okay after the last book, but then couldn’t put it down, until I realized it was 5 am and I needed at least a few hours of sleep :) Callie is recovering physically and emotionally from the events in the last book, and the team is sent on assignment — with Callie involved there is bound to be more trouble :) I love Callie’s awkwardness with the guys, and her stare-down with Aleks was awesome :) There is also intrigue and we learn more about Callie’s past when someone from her past shows up. I really liked that this person made some comments to the guys about Callie being able to help/have skills (besides computers) while they were on the mission. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Karin Dirksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another kidnapping, a surprise appearance of people from the past, a disturbing revelation and one step closer to ridding the world of Ivanov.

[Nick Tinsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are enough inconsistencies in this book that it is just jarring. Clearly farmed out to someone who never read the prior books. Just basic shit that doesn't match all over the place.

[Irene Kiew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this installment the least of all the others. They're on a big mission about to stake out the bad guy's fortress, and they're splitting into four teams, but they take time to argue about who's going to be on Callie's team and go in with her. When her team is in place and watching the guards at the entrance to the fortress, she and Duane get distracted, talk about inconsequential things ("I've never been to your veterinary clinic"), and take the time to kiss. When she's inside the fortress, she is so inept that she puts everybody at risk. In a situation where the bad guy could be lying in wait for them, she swears loudly enough that the bad guy hears her and it gives away her position. Then she shoots somebody out of self-defense, and promptly falls apart completely, blaming herself for taking a life, and AGAIN puts everyone at risk because she's too busy being hysterical to think about safety. Then she wastes time arguing with the team about wanting to stay back for Veseli, who has gone rogue to chase after the bad guy, when they really need to be evacuating the place asap before all the explosives blow. She was so TSTL that I could not stand it. Honestly I really felt that she deserved to die in this book.

I also couldn't forget that right at the beginning of this whole saga, she told the Tate team that they could not trust anyone, not even an elderly person or a child, because Ivanov uses everyone and you never know who's in his pocket. Yet in the previous book she hitched a ride from a stranger to the airport, and in this book, when she KNOWS she's in danger, she still trusted that Scotsman in the hotel while they were evacuating! She's supposed to have these great instincts and intuition that has helped her stay alive all this while, but in this book all her instincts disappeared and made it seem as if she was a completely different person from the previous books.

The whole kidnapping attempt and Veseli's miraculous resurrection made no sense. It was messy when there was no need to be messy, and frightened Callie out of her wits when again there was no need for that. Just so over the top. Also I am confused because earlier she identified Andrea as the one who set the bomb in the Cardinals' home, so it seems Andrea should be alive too, and where is he? Other reviewers have mentioned some other minor continuity errors, such as the fact that she had told CJ her nickname for his supercomputer before.

And what's the mystery about Grinley? Grinley's torture sounded not as bad this time as what he had tried in the CIA safe house. Didn't sound as cruel or frightening as what he did before. Seemed like mostly just beating her up and taunting her, using psychological tactics? I felt like he'd had some kind of personality transplant, especially with his threat of raping her. That makes it personal, that's no longer just trying to get information out of her. Plus he used his ex-wife's mother's house, that was not smart, it's like he threw all his CIA training into the drain. And then he just disappeared?

But the main question that I have is, why the heck doesn't the team just plant some sort of tracking device on Callie, knowing that she's in danger and constantly getting kidnapped? Implant under the skin, piece of jewellery she's wearing, anything! You'd think they'd have done that by now, but noooooo.

I think CJ is quite adorable, a good match for Callie in terms of temperament. Not sure that Corbin and Dr Scott are growing on me. I like Aleks because he's a big guy and when he hugs her, she feels so safe. I feel like she spends the least time with Brock, Bryce, and Emerson, even though Brock was the one whom she chose to call to reassure that she's okay. She spends a lot of time with the three members of the Tate team (Jace, CJ, and Aleks) and also spends a lot of time with Corbin and Dr Scott. No sexytimes in this book... so at this point, she's still a virgin.

[Jennifer G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prepare for some griping. Kidnap Callie is back! Kidnapped once again by Former CIA Agent Grinley and rescued by Delta. Don't worry, she will be kidnapped again before the book ends. And how many head injuries can one person get before the damage is permanent?!? It's bordering on ridiculous. What happened to the rest of the story? She is truly the damsel. The pacing of this series has dropped off considerably. Too much detail for too little development. It once had unlimited potential but it has not lived up to my hopes. There was always a risk with this big of a cast for guys to not get enough page-time but it goes beyond that. The story isn't progressing, the relationships are not deepening or in some cases developing and the characters still lack depth. Can you give me 5 details about Bryce? Jace? For that matter any of them? Each has a shallow role, the flirty vet, the big gun specialist, the IT guy, and the pranksters. The few backstories we have are good but we need more.  Why do they like Callie? What makes her special?  Why are all of these grown men not making any moves on her? I'm supposed to believe they are satisfied with a kiss here and there and if they are one of the really lucky ones, some light petting? After four books, I should know these answers. Why is a brilliant girl so stupid? She has no survival instinct and seems to forget her critical thinking when needed most. Maybe it's all the blows to the head or the fact, whenever a guy enters the room, she goes simple-minded. I would prefer her to always be the brilliant techie. In my opinion, the book works best when her intelligence shows.  It's time to narrow the focus. I understand why the Cardinals were initially Callie's choice but they need to be removed from the main cast. The odd interaction randomly thrown in no longer serves a purpose. Callie is not a contributing part of their team. Unless you are adding Yolo to her harem, move them to another assignment. Surely, Delta does more than rescue Callie. So far their resources have been strained to keep one girl alive. Another major complaint I have is the lack of research that was put into this book. It makes government agencies and their elite look silly. There are also too many minor inconsistencies in the details from book to book. Heights change, Callie saying she never told CJ about Jarvis Jr's name, Callie's first kill?  Maybe, a re-read or chapter summarizations are needed before the next book is written. I plan to finish this series. I've made it this far, I need to see how it ends. I can't imagine how it all wraps up in the final 2 books after the first four books but I can always hope.

[Kristi Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good then Confusing

The Cardinals, Emerson team and Tate team work together to help and save Callie as she has more... adventures... in this book.
Grinley, Ivo..something and Natasias father and the CIA against Delta.

Callie signs a vague contract with the CIA, she is comfortable kissing the harem. She is closer to the Cardinals. Grinley makes a return, as do previously thought to be dead characters. Events take place in Chernobyl for the last 20%.

[SPOILERS]
Two stars lost:
1. The confusion descriptions and scene in Chernobyl. I couldn’t keep up and I have no idea what happened except for dialogue, some of the elevator scene and the gist of it.

1/2. The scene/events that took place when Callie was kidnapped in the middle of the book. Idk what country they were in. Once that fire alarm went off I was lost until the teams and Vastily met in the building.

1/2. Another half star lost for the incredibly confusing and irritating preview into the next book. I know it shouldn’t affect this book, but author PLEASE PLEASE use italics for flashbacks. I was very confused and thought the preview was for book 6. I didn’t know what was happening until the very end of preview chapter 2.

** this book hypothetically(?) lost two stars.. I’m keeping it at 4 stars bc the book was good and I think 3 stars is being too harsh. However, they were big enough problems to note that I could have rated the book lower.

[Tes · Rating 3 out of 5]

TITLE - Cardinal of Sin
AUTHOR - Mia Smantz
TYPE - Series, #4 of 6 in "The Cardinal"
POV - 1st Person - Callie
GENRE - Dark Romance, Reverse Harem, Thriller
READ DATES - 3/27/2024 to 3/28/2024

RATINGS
Overall: 3.9/5⭐️
Characters: 3.5/5👀
Plot: 4/5🧩
Romance: 2/5💘
Spice: 1/5🌶️
Pacing: 5/5⌛️
Editing/Consistency: 3.5/5🔍

MAIN CHARACTERS - Callie, Brock, Aleks, Jace, CJ, Bryce, Duane, Emerson, Corbin

INITIAL REACTION - This one went by pretty quick and the latter half was just a tailwind. Veseli’s return didn’t surprise me too much but his exit did and I’m really hoping he somehow makes it through because he’s the closest thing to a father Callie has had. Andrea is suspect for sure but the fact that he didn’t kill any of the guys still leaves him with a giant question mark to me since it seems he wasn’t working with Veseli at that point.

Full review at: Cardinal Rose.

[Linda G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie, Callie, Callie.... who would turn down sleeping with Aleks, Jace and CJ... Not me.
So glad the Emerson team was there for her as well and was able to find her post kidnapping by Grinley. Is he really dead? Did Andrea take care of him and where did Andrea go?
Veseli is alive but it doesn't seem to know that Andrea is? Another twist to this great story.
I was not happy it had to end and now can't wait for book 5.
Callie needs to start experiencing the deliciousness of the men from team Tate and team Emerson.
I'm still team Aleks. But who will be the one to claim her initially?
She does need to stop getting hit in the head though. Concussed or not, she is a smart girl that doesn't need brain damage.
Cardinals care for her but will they be able to protect Natasha from Petrov (dad) as he has vowed to come for his daughter...

[Diamy Acosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best!

Omg Mia Smantz is literally the best! Even from book one this book has never failed to lose my attention. I’ve read many books and most of them don’t have anything on this series. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed at the characters dialogues. I love all the men in the book but Aleks does not fail at being my favorite. I totally recommend this book, it has everything you could want to read. This action packed book even had a little more romance typical to what the others had before. I can’t wait to see more of Callie and her 8 fellas in the next book! Winter of 2020 cannot come some enough!

[4foxsake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m having heart palpitations.

The author brought the story to the next level with this book! You swooned, sobbed, laughed and white knuckled your device while waiting to see who would... and wouldn’t make it out alive. Lots of sub plot action, history, and car chases. Callie is still ridiculously naive (stop blushing and own it!) but it gets annoying when juxtaposed with the tough as nails international terrorist hacker persona. I very much prefer the latter; she shows she has a backbone just doesn’t use it when it comes To the guys. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It will be interesting to see how the story is spun from here!

[Nikki Jerden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gets better every book!

I love this series! I swear it gets better with every book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way though on this one, and I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone but WHOO HOO! I’m so excited for this. Fingers crossed for more relationship development in the next book because we all know that’s what we’re here for. Also, I’d be super excited if the author threw in some guys POV’s. I mean we still barely know what Callie looks like! The anticipation is killing me in the best way.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I can't get enough of this series. The only thing I don't like is that I have to wait a few months for the next book. I've had the experience with some series that the books are less engaging as the series goes on and it feels like the author writes more books to drag the series out, but that's not the case with the Cardinal series. Each book has an exciting plot with a clear arc that leads up to the next book. I love all the characters too; none of them, even the villains, are cookie-cutter tropes.

[Hannah Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay, yay, yay!

Such a good edition to the series. A good bit of drama, a few answers and finally moving forward with the teams. I love this series so much. I enjoy the premise behind it. I desperately want to know where Andre and vesali are. I like reading the little snippets of secret conversations between them. All the nicknames are super cute, I wish I had someone to call me duso! I'm keeping it short and sweet as I don't want to accidentally give anything away. It's also book 4 so hopefully you've read the others and know how action packed and not this series is.

[Sara Yonkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, I finished the last book with a cliffhanger and along with probably everyone else that has read this series, I immediately went to this one (in the middle of the night, staying up far to late) just to see what happened with Emmerson and even Callie. I mean, I figured she would be rescued, she'd have to be for the series to go on. How many times has she been kidnapped (or attempted to be) now? I've kind of lost track. Sometimes she walks right into it, but at least now she has someone(s) in her corner.

[JennyBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome as Always

This series has become one of my favorites!! This book didn't disappoint, even though it was a bit slower than the previous three. This was the first time we really had build up to a big heist that took up a large chunk of the book, where previously the action was more spontaneous and continuous. But I still loved it!! Can't wait for the next one, that's always the hardest part!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic example of a well-written slow burn.
The author must have spent a very long time researching both languages and coding, as I didn’t notice any serious flaws when the characters use technological jargon.
There were a few grammatical flaws that takes the reader away from the story for a moment (your vs. you’re and similar homophones) but they were infrequent enough to not be particularly bothersome.
As always, I eagerly await the next book in this series.

[Cat H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
I am still loving the characters and the plot and the series as a whole...
Im just concerned that this is book 4 and there is still a devastating lack of sex. They do have a few make out sessions. But this series is the slowest burn I’ve ever read. I haven’t looked, but I am hoping that doesn’t mean that this is a clean series because ew. But At this point my hope is waning.

*sigh*

I’m still really enjoying it, though. So on to the next.

[B ~ modern day bookworm~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It just keeps on coming

This series is a serious slow burn, but packed with action.

Definitely see the characters developing as well as the individual relationships get more in depth.

I give kudos to the author for keeping each book very interesting. It’s like a Hansel and Gretel adventure with the crumbs dropped strategically each book to be picked up and consumed later.

Definitely recommend reading the series in order.