“The Sinner” by Shantel Tessier – An Audiobook Review
⭐ Rating: 1.5/5
Year Published: 2022
Genre: Dark Romance, Erotica
Page Count: 640 (17.5 hr)
Narrators: Laurie West & Peter Alden (Duet Narration)
Quick Summary
The Sinner attempts to push the boundaries of dark romance and erotic suspense, but what should have been a gripping, tension-filled read instead feels like an exhausting, convoluted mess. With a bloated runtime (17+ hours on audiobook), endless cycles of trauma and exploitation, and a frustratingly underdeveloped male lead, this book fails to deliver a compelling story despite its dark, high-stakes premise.
What I Liked
Dual Narration in the Audiobook: The audiobook’s duet narration format was well done, making it at least listenable, even if the story itself was a mess.
Ellie Had Some Development: While most characters lacked depth, Ellie was at least somewhat fleshed out—not enough to save the book, but she was the only one with any real arc.
It Did Answer Some Questions... Eventually: The only reason I finished this book was because I had so many questions—though the answers took way too long to arrive.
What Didn’t Work for Me
A Needlessly Convoluted Plot: At some point, I completely lost the plot (literally) and just stayed along for the ride out of pure confusion. This book was way too long for the amount of actual story it contained.
Sin Was a One-Dimensional MMC: There was no explanation for why Sin is the way he is, which made him completely uninteresting as a character. His backstory, motivations, and even basic personality were underdeveloped, making it impossible to connect with him.
Endless Trauma for Shock Value: The book leaned so hard into trauma and non-consensual sex scenes that it became exhausting rather than impactful. It didn’t add depth to the story—it just felt exploitative.
Repetitive & Overlong: Not only was the book way too long, but the sex scenes became repetitive to the point that they lost any tension or impact. Instead of keeping the reader engaged, the book dragged endlessly, making the read feel like a chore.
Will I Continue the Series?
The only reason I might continue is that Tyson is the only side character that interests me, and he’s the focus of the next book. However, if The Sacrifice is as messy as this one, I’ll just DNF and cut my losses.
Who Should Read This?
Honestly, unless you really love extreme dark romance with little character development and an overlong, convoluted plot, this book will likely frustrate more than entertain. If you’re looking for well-executed dark romance, there are far better options out there.
Final Thoughts
The Sinner tries too hard to push boundaries without delivering a compelling story. The lack of character development, needlessly confusing plot, and repetitive, exploitative scenes make it a frustrating, exhausting read. The only redeeming elements were Ellie’s character arc and the eventual answers at the end—but neither were enough to make up for everything else. Not impressed, and definitely not recommending this one.
