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Monsters & Muses #0.5
Sweet Sin
From USA Today bestselling author Sav R. Miller comes a steamy Promises and Pomegranates prequel about the night of forbidden passion leading up to Kal and Elena's wedding.
Kal Anderson is a stone-cold fixer, both in the literal and figurative sense. Nicknamed Doctor Death, he prefers to keep his messes confined to his workspace and out of his personal life. Still, when it comes to the notorious Ricci crime family, he can’t seem to catch a break.
He’s not supposed to notice his boss’s daughter, or engage in any way with her, considering the sordid history he has with both of her parents.
Elena Ricci won’t let him go without a fight, though. Not with the date of her arranged wedding on the horizon. Knowing she and Kal can’t be together, Elena wants just one night to explore their mutual attraction.
A night of freedom before she becomes someone else’s forever.
On the eve of her twentieth birthday, any resolve Kal held seems to snap, and he finds himself doing the very thing he swore he wouldn’t… giving in.
For one night only, he’ll indulge in the sweetest of sins and discover that a single taste of the forbidden fruit will never be enough.
Sweet Sin is a 16,000 word prequel intended to be read before Promises and Pomegranates, and was originally published in the Omertà Christmas Anthology and was available on the author's website for a limited time. It is not a standalone, and is a dark romance that contains mature language, themes, and content that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised. For a full list of content warnings, please visit the author's website.
Kal Anderson is a stone-cold fixer, both in the literal and figurative sense. Nicknamed Doctor Death, he prefers to keep his messes confined to his workspace and out of his personal life. Still, when it comes to the notorious Ricci crime family, he can’t seem to catch a break.
He’s not supposed to notice his boss’s daughter, or engage in any way with her, considering the sordid history he has with both of her parents.
Elena Ricci won’t let him go without a fight, though. Not with the date of her arranged wedding on the horizon. Knowing she and Kal can’t be together, Elena wants just one night to explore their mutual attraction.
A night of freedom before she becomes someone else’s forever.
On the eve of her twentieth birthday, any resolve Kal held seems to snap, and he finds himself doing the very thing he swore he wouldn’t… giving in.
For one night only, he’ll indulge in the sweetest of sins and discover that a single taste of the forbidden fruit will never be enough.
Sweet Sin is a 16,000 word prequel intended to be read before Promises and Pomegranates, and was originally published in the Omertà Christmas Anthology and was available on the author's website for a limited time. It is not a standalone, and is a dark romance that contains mature language, themes, and content that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised. For a full list of content warnings, please visit the author's website.
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
1248 people are currently reading
18158 people want to read
About the author
Sav R. Miller
24 books6,133 followersJoin my Facebook reader group for exclusive content & to learn about new projects before anyone else: https://facebook.com/groups/savrmiller
Follow me on Instagram/Facebook: @srmauthor
Or Tik Tok: @authorsavrmiller
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Sav R. Miller is a USA Today bestselling author of adult romance with varying levels of darkness and steam.
In 2018, Sav put her lifelong love of reading and writing to use and graduated with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a minor in Cultural Anthropology. Nowadays, she spends her time giving morally gray characters their happily-ever-afters.
Currently, Sav lives in Kentucky with her dogs Lord Byron, Poe, and Arrow. She loves sitcoms, silence, and sardonic humor.
Follow me on Instagram/Facebook: @srmauthor
Or Tik Tok: @authorsavrmiller
To keep up with all things Sav, subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/p2n6z9
Sav R. Miller is a USA Today bestselling author of adult romance with varying levels of darkness and steam.
In 2018, Sav put her lifelong love of reading and writing to use and graduated with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a minor in Cultural Anthropology. Nowadays, she spends her time giving morally gray characters their happily-ever-afters.
Currently, Sav lives in Kentucky with her dogs Lord Byron, Poe, and Arrow. She loves sitcoms, silence, and sardonic humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,095 reviews
March 4, 2024
I read this prequel planning to start Promises and Pomegranates next but I didn't love this prequel so now I'm questioning if I should read Promises and Pomegranates at all😭. I didn't love the dynamic between the two main characters. She's more innocent and then he's dark and morally grey.
AND, I'm surprised to ever write this sentence because I love spice, but I think this book was toooo spicy for me. I wanted more plot than spice with this one.
AND, I'm surprised to ever write this sentence because I love spice, but I think this book was toooo spicy for me. I wanted more plot than spice with this one.
December 11, 2025
This novella would have completely changed my perception of Promises & Pomegranates had I read it first. While reading P&P, I constantly felt like something was missing — the emotional entry point into their world, the history connecting them, the context of who they were before everything exploded. Sweet Sin is exactly that missing piece. 🌙🖤✨
📖 Book: Sweet Sin
🖋️ Author: Sav. R. Miller
🌟 Rating: 4.25 ✧
💖 Genre: dark contemporary mafia romance
📚 Series: Monsters & Muses (interconnected standalones)
🌸 Summary: A companion novella to Promises & Pomegranates, this short story follows Kal and Elena before the chaos of the main novel, giving us a bittersweet, intimate glimpse into their lives before everything crashed into fate. Most importantly, it finally reveals the night that changed the course of their lives forever — the night that shaped their obsession, their choices, and the violent gravity that pulled them toward each other long before they knew it.
♡ What I loved most:
• The stalker trope: this is one of my absolute weak points in dark romance, and this novella leaned into it deliciously 😅✨
• The shift in power: in P&P, Kal clearly holds the power… but this novella proves that Elena was the one holding the strings all along. A dynamic I loved seeing explored so clearly 💋
• The bits of Italian: just like in the main book, these sprinkled phrases added so much atmosphere and authenticity ❤️
• The writing: Sav’s style remains one of my favorite things — lyrical yet modern, elegant without becoming heavy 🌙
✘ What I didn't love:
• This being intended to be read after P&P: the author explained why it wouldn’t work structurally, but emotionally? It would’ve made a huge difference. This novella helped me understand and feel so much more about Kal and Elena’s relationship, and I wish I’d had that foundation from the start 🥹
───♡─────────────
୨ৎ Overall:
This novella would have completely changed my perception of Promises & Pomegranates had I read it first. While reading P&P, I constantly felt like something was missing — the emotional entry point into their world, the history connecting them, the context of who they were before everything exploded. Sweet Sin is exactly that missing piece.
It made me see everything in a different light.
Beyond that, I truly have no complaints. I only wish I had read it first. 🥹
Despite that, it offered beautiful insight into the world of P&P. It deepened everything, added weight and meaning, and gave me exactly the context I had been craving. I loved it.
xoxo, until the next book 💋✨📕
「Monsters & Muses series」
#0.5 Sweet Sin — 4.25 ✧
#1 Promises and Pomegranates — 2.5 ✧
#2 Vipers and Virtuosos — 4.5 ✧
#3 Oaths and Omissions — TBR
#4 Arrows and Apologies — TBR
#5 Souls and Sorrows — TBR
#6 Liars and Liaisons — TBR
(spin-off) Stolen Vows — 5 ✧
「Monsters Within series」 (next gen series)
#1 Endless Anger — TBR
#2 Jealous Rage — TBA
#3 Vengeful Destruction — TBA
📖 Book: Sweet Sin
🖋️ Author: Sav. R. Miller
🌟 Rating: 4.25 ✧
💖 Genre: dark contemporary mafia romance
📚 Series: Monsters & Muses (interconnected standalones)
🌸 Summary: A companion novella to Promises & Pomegranates, this short story follows Kal and Elena before the chaos of the main novel, giving us a bittersweet, intimate glimpse into their lives before everything crashed into fate. Most importantly, it finally reveals the night that changed the course of their lives forever — the night that shaped their obsession, their choices, and the violent gravity that pulled them toward each other long before they knew it.
♡ What I loved most:
• The stalker trope: this is one of my absolute weak points in dark romance, and this novella leaned into it deliciously 😅✨
• The shift in power: in P&P, Kal clearly holds the power… but this novella proves that Elena was the one holding the strings all along. A dynamic I loved seeing explored so clearly 💋
“I came to ruin her, but the destruction here tonight has only been my own.”
• The bits of Italian: just like in the main book, these sprinkled phrases added so much atmosphere and authenticity ❤️
• The writing: Sav’s style remains one of my favorite things — lyrical yet modern, elegant without becoming heavy 🌙
“‘All those poems you left showed me that art, especially the written kind, exists inside us. Either you are poetry, or you aren't. You can't fake it. Can't fake the things you feel in the very thread of your soul.’”
✘ What I didn't love:
• This being intended to be read after P&P: the author explained why it wouldn’t work structurally, but emotionally? It would’ve made a huge difference. This novella helped me understand and feel so much more about Kal and Elena’s relationship, and I wish I’d had that foundation from the start 🥹
───♡─────────────
୨ৎ Overall:
This novella would have completely changed my perception of Promises & Pomegranates had I read it first. While reading P&P, I constantly felt like something was missing — the emotional entry point into their world, the history connecting them, the context of who they were before everything exploded. Sweet Sin is exactly that missing piece.
It made me see everything in a different light.
Beyond that, I truly have no complaints. I only wish I had read it first. 🥹
Despite that, it offered beautiful insight into the world of P&P. It deepened everything, added weight and meaning, and gave me exactly the context I had been craving. I loved it.
xoxo, until the next book 💋✨📕
「Monsters & Muses series」
#0.5 Sweet Sin — 4.25 ✧
#1 Promises and Pomegranates — 2.5 ✧
#2 Vipers and Virtuosos — 4.5 ✧
#3 Oaths and Omissions — TBR
#4 Arrows and Apologies — TBR
#5 Souls and Sorrows — TBR
#6 Liars and Liaisons — TBR
(spin-off) Stolen Vows — 5 ✧
「Monsters Within series」 (next gen series)
#1 Endless Anger — TBR
#2 Jealous Rage — TBA
#3 Vengeful Destruction — TBA
November 20, 2022
okay I’m hyped to start promises & pomegranates
July 3, 2022
This was a little prequel to Promises and Pomegranates, a glimpse into Elena’s engagement to Mateo and just how awful he is, and Kallum’s mindset before he took Elena’s virginity at her request on her 20th birthday. Deliciously dark and twisted, I loved it!
September 29, 2025
love a cliffhanger, hate that he called her "the little dumpster that you are" 😂😂😂
September 22, 2022
Dang when I read this a year ago the prequel didn’t have a goodreads page. I kept this review as the same rating I rated the actual first book because although I enjoyed the prequel, the whole experience just wasn’t good for me.
April 1, 2023
★★★★☆ - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
A spicy novella that’s Christmas themed… can never go wrong 😚 I liked it and it was a fast read, but tbh I only read it now because I cancelled my KU membership and wanted to read it before it expired 🫶🏼
A spicy novella that’s Christmas themed… can never go wrong 😚 I liked it and it was a fast read, but tbh I only read it now because I cancelled my KU membership and wanted to read it before it expired 🫶🏼
June 26, 2024
oh… okay 🥵 short & spicy with a cliffhanger. i will now start reading promises & pomegranates immediately
February 23, 2023
This is the prequel to promises and pomegranates. it’s a short novella length taster of the story to come. Well written with lots of spice it definitely made me want to learn more. I found the finish here slightly confusing initially as it didn’t quite line up with the actual book, I think I worked it out though it just wasn’t initially apparent. This is an excellent introduction and provides some back story and lots of heat. You don’t need to read this to enjoy the book but it does add to the experience.
September 17, 2022
Recensione in Anteprima sulla mia pagina Bookstagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cim7CUwsx...
Questa novella fa da apripista al libro Promesse e Melagrane che verrà pubblicato dalla Virgibooks il 28 settembre.
È un racconto breve utile al lettore per meglio comprendere le dinamiche che scopriremo nel libro successivo e per conoscere la storia d’amore, anzi per meglio dire l’ossessione che Kallum ed Elena nutrono l’un l’altro.
«La mia infatuazione per la ragazza non è di quelle che si trovano nelle favole a lieto fine: è qualcosa che mette terrore, un orrore accompagnato da vendetta».
Complice l’euforia per le festività di Natale, il regalo di compleanno di “Persefone” si trasforma in una magica notte, una di quelle indimenticabili, che la segneranno per sempre.
Un mafia romance dalle tinte dark che troverete rovente🔥 e che termina con un finale sospeso che apre a diversi scenari.
*Ringrazio la CE per la copia ARC in Anteprima
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cim7CUwsx...
Questa novella fa da apripista al libro Promesse e Melagrane che verrà pubblicato dalla Virgibooks il 28 settembre.
È un racconto breve utile al lettore per meglio comprendere le dinamiche che scopriremo nel libro successivo e per conoscere la storia d’amore, anzi per meglio dire l’ossessione che Kallum ed Elena nutrono l’un l’altro.
«La mia infatuazione per la ragazza non è di quelle che si trovano nelle favole a lieto fine: è qualcosa che mette terrore, un orrore accompagnato da vendetta».
Complice l’euforia per le festività di Natale, il regalo di compleanno di “Persefone” si trasforma in una magica notte, una di quelle indimenticabili, che la segneranno per sempre.
Un mafia romance dalle tinte dark che troverete rovente🔥 e che termina con un finale sospeso che apre a diversi scenari.
*Ringrazio la CE per la copia ARC in Anteprima
May 7, 2023
Це було так погано, що, мені здається, 1⭐ занадто висока оцінка. Якщо ви хочете прочитати щось нелогічне і огидне, то ця історія якраз підійде
May 23, 2023
1/5
Що я тільки що прочитала😳🤦♀
Важко виразити свої думки без матюків.
Героїня якась мазохістка ненормальна, герой взагалі відбитий на всю голову, від сцен 🔞 мені аж блювати хотілося. І взагалі всю книгу хотілося очі закочувати. Мені подобаються деякі книги в жанрі дарк, але не таке. Зате закінчилося так, що захотілося дізнатися продовження 😂
Що я тільки що прочитала😳🤦♀
Важко виразити свої думки без матюків.
Героїня якась мазохістка ненормальна, герой взагалі відбитий на всю голову, від сцен 🔞 мені аж блювати хотілося. І взагалі всю книгу хотілося очі закочувати. Мені подобаються деякі книги в жанрі дарк, але не таке. Зате закінчилося так, що захотілося дізнатися продовження 😂
December 28, 2022
Short and spicy read. Not long enough to truly enjoy the characters but definitely a good starter before going on the read the first in the series.
January 11, 2023
3.5⭐️!! Wooohooo this is spicy 🌶️ and hot love to read the moments of Kal & Elena first intimate moments! The obsession for them both such an enjoyable novella!
April 22, 2024
Yikes.
October 2, 2022
This is just a novella prequel to Promises and Pomegranates that includes their first time together (also her first time period). I read this when it was still a freebie and I have the same thoughts. I still love this. I love how it’s only 68 pages and literally half of that is the smut scene. I am still in love with Kal and that will never change. You don’t have to read this in order to read Promises in Pomegranates but I do recommend it. Only because it helps give a little backstory.
December 20, 2025
Let’s be honest, they both are a little sick.
The beginning of chapter 10 was a little too much for me!
Hot and spicy but come on???!!! Sucking your own virginity blood with his semen was just tooo disgusting for me personally
The beginning of chapter 10 was a little too much for me!
Hot and spicy but come on???!!! Sucking your own virginity blood with his semen was just tooo disgusting for me personally
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2023
Short and Smutty
Would literally devour anything related to Kal and Elena
Would literally devour anything related to Kal and Elena
December 18, 2025
5⭐️/5⭐️
KALLUM ANDERSON THE MAN THAT YOU ARE
I’m so down bad for Doctor death it’s not a joke
The way he is so effortlessly hot and smart
He’s the nerdy type of hot guy with psychotic tendencies also he’s a lil toxic but I’m blind when it comes to him
Great prequel for the series I’m so excited to see Kal and Elena together
I love the Hades and Persephone aspects like the similarities and how they act like it
The story is not exactly like that but there are some similarities in the characters and the story and it was so mythical
Elena was also so badass and I like her character already
This was like a start to who Kal is and what he does for work as a doctor and as a fixer
The pomegranate tattoo help I’m obsessed with it as much as Kal
The smut was so hawtt like literally combining poetry and sex was literal art
The ending was a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to devour the book!
KALLUM ANDERSON THE MAN THAT YOU ARE
I’m so down bad for Doctor death it’s not a joke
The way he is so effortlessly hot and smart
He’s the nerdy type of hot guy with psychotic tendencies also he’s a lil toxic but I’m blind when it comes to him
Great prequel for the series I’m so excited to see Kal and Elena together
I love the Hades and Persephone aspects like the similarities and how they act like it
The story is not exactly like that but there are some similarities in the characters and the story and it was so mythical
Elena was also so badass and I like her character already
This was like a start to who Kal is and what he does for work as a doctor and as a fixer
The pomegranate tattoo help I’m obsessed with it as much as Kal
The smut was so hawtt like literally combining poetry and sex was literal art
The ending was a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to devour the book!
Read
May 7, 2023Двоє божевільних які знайшли один одного😅
І ще одна дівчина яка і втратила цноту і одразу отримала три оргазми і все це за декілька годин😂😂😂😂😅
Ну я продовжу і подивлюсь шо ше там може бути такого🤪
І ще одна дівчина яка і втратила цноту і одразу отримала три оргазми і все це за декілька годин😂😂😂😂😅
Ну я продовжу і подивлюсь шо ше там може бути такого🤪
March 21, 2024
I loved this little novela the mouth on this men is just aahhh
October 28, 2025
2.5 🌟
Mehh
Una introducción a lo que se viene, creo que estuvo bien, no me encanta el uno de los clichés que usan pero igual se ve interesante.
Mehh
Una introducción a lo que se viene, creo que estuvo bien, no me encanta el uno de los clichés que usan pero igual se ve interesante.
January 13, 2023
“Either you are poetry, or you aren’t. You can’t fake it. Can’t fake the things you feel in the very thread of your soul.”
This was a spicy novella prequel to Promises & Pomegranates. I definitely recommend reading this before starting that book because you get so much insight into Kal and Elena's relationship development. Honestly this book is dark and spicy and absolutely hooked me into this series!!!
Also fun memories because I read this whole thing standing outside in line for an Ateez concert for like 6 hours lol.
This was a spicy novella prequel to Promises & Pomegranates. I definitely recommend reading this before starting that book because you get so much insight into Kal and Elena's relationship development. Honestly this book is dark and spicy and absolutely hooked me into this series!!!
Also fun memories because I read this whole thing standing outside in line for an Ateez concert for like 6 hours lol.
September 20, 2022
2.5 stars
“Don’t pretend like you care about my comfort. You were just talking about ruining me.”
“You begged me to, you dirty little slut.”
Characters were so horny for what but since this was originally a part of some anthology I understand. Kinda. Still going to read the series because I'm in mood for violence and gore stuff. The next book better have some plot other than bitches just being horny 😩
“Don’t pretend like you care about my comfort. You were just talking about ruining me.”
“You begged me to, you dirty little slut.”
Characters were so horny for what but since this was originally a part of some anthology I understand. Kinda. Still going to read the series because I'm in mood for violence and gore stuff. The next book better have some plot other than bitches just being horny 😩
September 4, 2023
the way kal speaks of elena <3
September 3, 2023
i mean, it wasn’t bad?
wasn’t good, either🧍♀️🤡
wasn’t good, either🧍♀️🤡
May 1, 2024
this book had me blushing, giggling, and kicking my feet! only con is that he KEPT calling her a slut when she was literally a virgin? idk, i personally would be so pissed off ☠️
March 5, 2023
“I’m not like the boys from your little private schools. I’ll ruin you and not think twice about it.”
I really enjoyed this! Kal is perfect. Stalker tendencies, protective, possessive, kinky, what more can I girl ask for? I love his obsession with Elena and the tension between them.
There were some parts that were hinted but not fully explained. I hope they are revealed in the next book.
The smut was hot and written pretty well. I loved the biting, marking, and the Christmas lights 😏 I had a great time reading this and can't wait to fall more in love with Kal. Elena is in for it with this one.
I really enjoyed this! Kal is perfect. Stalker tendencies, protective, possessive, kinky, what more can I girl ask for? I love his obsession with Elena and the tension between them.
There were some parts that were hinted but not fully explained. I hope they are revealed in the next book.
The smut was hot and written pretty well. I loved the biting, marking, and the Christmas lights 😏 I had a great time reading this and can't wait to fall more in love with Kal. Elena is in for it with this one.
October 25, 2022
That was a great novella and definitely left me excited for Promises and Pomegranates. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read P&P before, knowing the characters beforehand.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,095 reviews